Totally Normal
by frekat
Summary: Issei was...totally normal. There was nothing special about him or his family, so when he was revived as a devil by Rias Gremory, he found himself wondering why she would do such a thing. Issei was only a normal kid, right? That's what he thought, anyway, and his thoughts don't matter too much to those in who have power. And Issei once told himself that he was a totally normal kid.
1. Chapter 1

I was a completely average high school student.

In more detail, there was absolutely nothing special about me. I was the kid you would find in the arcade after school wasting all of his money. I was the kid you would see working part-time at a fast food restaurant. I was the kid you'd see on the school roof during school hours because he couldn't stand the teacher's rambling.

I was totally normal and it hurt a little knowing that I could easily be replaced by my next door neighbour. It didn't really control me, though. I was trying to make the most of my life because I knew I could die at any moment without experiencing what I wanted to.

Unfortunately, that involved having a girlfriend and everything that came with her. Although, on one fateful and seemingly lucky afternoon, Yuuma Amano, a girl who seemed to be very polite while looking cute, had asked me out as I was on my way home from school.

I was a sceptic and I always have been. I had a hard time believing in religion and the paranormal, but this event and events that would appear to be similar were added to my list. I mean, I hadn't seen this girl before and she doesn't go to my school so there really was no point in thinking about those things when I saw the girl.

Although, Yuuma said that she had fallen in love with me ever since she first saw me, so I ended up thinking she had been stalking me for some time before she built up the courage to ask the big question.

In the end, after some crying, embarrassment and heart break from the poor girl, I offered to be her friend and gave her my phone number. That evening we had made plans to hang out around the city for most of the day. It seemed like a date at first as it was just me and this cute girl, but it turned out to be more entertaining than I thought it would be. There were no romantic aspects to our little adventure around the city.

And then…as the sunset slowly fell on the horizon, Yuuma and I sat on the edge of a water fountain in a park that was conveniently placed at the top of a large set of stairs. We were basically given the orange and purple hues of the dying sun.

After some small talk and humour that we both seemed to enjoy, Yuuma jumped to her feet and held her hands behind her back with a gentle smile. And then I died shortly after with no recollection of what had happened as it was too fast for my eyes to track. I do know I had a gaping hole in my stomach and that I was quickly bleeding out, and that I didn't see Yuuma anywhere and was starting to get worried, not caring for myself as I usually did.

And then I woke up in my bed like nothing had happened.

And on that day, I found another gaping hole in my stomach. This time, I knew what had caused it and who had the power to do it, but I didn't care much for memorising the face of that malicious being. They did have a set of black wings, though, which was probably a bad omen, not that I believed in the paranormal or anything like that.

The following morning, I woke up next to a naked Rias Gremory cuddling me in bed who had then explained that I was now her devil servant or something like that. I acted neutral like I generally did in those kinds of situations, but on the inside I was confused as to why I had been killed two days in a row. That was my only thought process for that entire morning.

I guess I could shorten this whole story and say that I had been killed twice and had become a devil, but that wouldn't be very fun. That was how I found myself standing in the Occult Research Club's mansion in the middle of a dense group of trees at the back of my school, though. Everything that had happened previously was just a precursor to what was going to come.

* * *

I looked at the mansion as I approached the building. It was a nice building. I genuinely liked it as it was made of a dark wood in a Victorian style. It had fancy couches in the main clubroom, velvet carpet and large windows, not to mention some kind of pentagram in one corner of the room. As strange as it sounded to me, I didn't think the other rooms in the building were used at all as none of the doors seemed to have ever been used.

So I pointed at the pentagram in confusion as I had nothing else to observe or mention other than the people that I could care less about, "What exactly is that used for?" Akeno Himejima, a black haired third year with purple eyes, white skin and what should be considered a very good body, stepped forward with a smile.

"It's a magic circle that has been designed for teleportation, if you want to call it that!" I frowned and nod my head once in thanks. Rias was currently showering behind a curtain that was in the side of the wall and I couldn't help but glance over in that direction. I ended up shaking my head with a sigh before I timidly parked my body on the only couch that was facing a window. It had a small coffee table and another couch opposite it, as well. The room was quiet and it disturbed me just a little.

I have never really been a people person. The thought of having to deal with a complete was stranger wasn't exactly terrifying, but it did make me feel nervous. Especially when I know I've done something wrong and will have to face the consequences of my actions. They were always the worst moments.

I looked around the room once more but decided to look at the other members of this strange club.

Yuuto Kiba, a second year that the girls consider to be handsome. Short blonde hair, large blue eyes that I knew held a fake gentleness and a mildly average form. He's also known as the 'Prince of Kuoh' but it's only because of the female students and their ridiculous infatuation. He's leaning on a wall next to one of the large windows.

Koneko Toujo, a first year student that is rather cute. Short white hair, small brown eyes and a permanent stoic face that did not fit her petite frame. She's widely known as Kuoh's 'mascot' and guys and girls alike love her because of how 'cute' she looks. I guess she likes sweets because she's eating some as I look at her sitting on the couch opposite me.

Akeno Himejima. I've already looked at her enough, but she's known as one of the 'Two Big Sisters of Kuoh' right next to Rias. She's at the end of the room pouring tea into two separate cups and is smiling while humming. That smile looks too fake to be real to me at the moment, so I couldn't help but frown just a little more.

And then there was Rias Gremory who had just sat across from me. Long crimson hair, blue-green eyes that appeared to be mischievous, and a small smile. She thanked Akeno as a cup of tea was placed on the table in front of her, followed by a thanks from myself as the other cup Akeno held was placed in front of me.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

If I had to be completely honest, I don't think I am ready to deal with the annoying crap that's to come. I mean, there's obviously some religious showdown going on if I really have been turned into a devil and was killed by what I assume is a fallen angel. I think I had the whole conversation already thought out.

"Say nothing, Gremory. I think I have the whole thing figured out already. Religious war is happening, I was killed because I have some power or is a descendant of someone powerful, you revived me for that very reason and here I am, skipping all of the details! I wonder what my teachers would think of me if they were in your position, Gremory." Rias blinked once as I spat out everything I had to say before she could ramble on about things I could care less about. Although, I think I was about to be proven wrong as I detected Rias' smirk.

"You're kind of right, Issei. The war had already happened between the angels, fallen angels and devils. There's a truce at the moment and the fallen angels that killed you…well, we have reasons to believe that they've deserted the Grigori and Azazel, the leader of the fallen angels. I didn't just revive you because of the power that these fallen angels were obviously afraid of. You seem to be of some use to the Underworld and myself."

I took a sip from the teacup as I found myself deep in thought.

So I wasn't killed because there was a war. The war had ended already and that meant I didn't have to fight in a desperate attempt to save everyone I loved. Although, I only really love my parents in a familial way as I have no friends. I think all of the guys at school are afraid to approach me.

And the Grigori…a faction that must hold a lot of power in this new world I've been introduced to. It's run by Azazel, a guy who is very busy and had no time to stop this group of deserters or a guy who could care less. I'd like to think that this Azazel fits the first description, but I have a feeling he's not what I expect him to be.

Last but not least, Rias' reason for reviving me! It's obviously because of my hidden power. I mean, it's not like it is obvious and that I'm able to figure out why she needs to revive me for my power. If I actually thought about the issues at hand I would be able to figure out that a lot of the 'pure-blood' devils must have been killed in the war and that there's some sort of 'purist' movement going on that has Rias stuck in the midst of it just because she's a female and is ready to be married to some cocky guy.

Oh, hey, what do I know, I figured out all of Rias' reasons and she doesn't even need to tell me.

"So, what's my power, then? I don't need you to tell me why you've revived me as I've gotten the gist of it through my amazing deduction skills so we may as well get straight to the only topic that I care about!" Rias rose an eyebrow as Akeno tried to hide a giggle behind one of her hands. Rias has every right to be confused, though. She didn't tell me anything extensive about herself of what's really going on and she obviously didn't think I was able to pick up these things, so I understand her feelings right now.

"Well, if you really want to know, all you have to do is get into a stance that you think is powerful and feel for something deep inside of you. It's really simple." It really was simple. Getting into a powerful stance was easy as I didn't think there was such thing as a powerful stance, but the next part was the hardest as Rias' words were quite cryptic.

Feel for something deep inside of me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I awkwardly stood in front of the four club members as I held my eyes shut, frowning. I couldn't really feel anything deep inside of me, so I didn't understand why I was standing still in a neutral position. Maybe my body language actually had something to do with it? I slowly shook my head and muttered a few nonsensical words under my breath.

I opened my eyes and sat back down, awkwardly waiting for someone to break the silence. I looked at Rias who was smiling gently, to an Akeno that was trying to hide a giggle once more, to a Koneko that was as stoic as ever and then to a Kiba that was smiling passively. I don't understand why they were looking at me the way they were. I guess my actions were a bit comedic, but I still didn't understand why they seemed to be holding back their laughter that shouldn't exist in the face place. Maybe I did something weird without knowing?

"So…have you had enough already, Issei?" I shook my head in what could only be described as an attempt to move the conversation on to something completely different. I really didn't like the way this conversation was heading as I did not like being the centre of everyone's attention.

"I'll try at home later on tonight when I feel I'm ready. There's no point in rushing it, I guess." Rias nodded. I really was going to try again tonight, though. I was ready to unleash the dragon, as some people would say, but I don't think my power would be that great.

I'm only normal, after all.

* * *

 **Did you like it? Did you dislike? State your reasons in a review or PM. All criticism is welcome. And yes, I know this story idea is over saturated, but I found this really fun to write and I think I may have a few good things to offer with this story.**


	2. Chapter 2

"You helped a member of the church? They're our enemies!" I was back in the clubroom and Rias was shouting at me for helping an innocent girl. Even though she had no clue on the Japanese language and only knew English, I was able to communicate with her and point her in the direction of the abandoned church the city had left behind as that was her destination. She did want me to go with her in case she got lost again, but I didn't really care. I did my part and it was her turn to do her own part.

"Listen, I may be a devil now, but I'm not as big of an ass as you think I am." Rias looked shocked at my statement while Akeno giggled. It seemed to be a recurring theme. I'd say something that challenged Rias' 'hold' over my body and soul and Akeno would giggle. I wonder why Akeno does it, though. She seems to be very loyal to Rias so it didn't make much sense to me, "Anyway, I'm going to go home now. And yes, I will still refuse to do these pointless tasks that come with the 'privilege' of being a devil."

I grabbed my bag from its position next to the fancy couch that I desperately wanted to own because of how comfy it was and silently left the room. There was nothing left for me to do there, anyway. I mean, Rias probably has good intentions, but I don't want to waste my precious high school afternoons handing out fliers that mean absolutely nothing to me. The worst part is that it apparently raises your status and rank in the underworld.

Devils have rankings now? Apparently they do. From a low class, to a middle class, to a high class, everyone suffers from discrimination unless they're a pureblood brat that has been spoiled their whole life. I'd try and guess who that brat was if I didn't already know, but I already knew who that person was and they were my 'master'.

Rias did indeed declare that she was officially my master after she brought me back from the dead as one of her devil servants. I laughed it off, though. In what state of mind would I even accept the idea of Rias Gremory being my master, anyway?

But the technique of the resurrection was rather unique, though. It was based off of chess and the pieces from the game and every piece had some special ability or quality. Apparently, some people require more than one piece to be revived, just like me and, according to some snooping around, I used up all eight of Rias' pawn pieces because of this special power I hold inside of me.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if my information on that is correct, but what you hear from eavesdropping would most likely be one hundred percent legit so I accepted what I knew as fact. Eavesdropping never does lie to you, after all. Especially when it comes from my 'master' complaining about how useless I am in the clubroom during class when we should both be studying.

I had eventually found my way home as I was deep in thought, much to my surprise. I usually end up wandering around the city in a daze for an hour or two before I snap out of my trance and run home in a panic. My house was pretty small, though. It was large enough to fit me and my two parents, and that was all that really mattered to us. I entered, flicked my shoes off of my feet and stretched my arms above my head with a yawn.

I think I need to train more so I can become stronger as I have a feeling that I'll have to fight someone or something that I am unable to beat in my current state, but my body is still sore from my last exercise session a few days ago. It wasn't too bad. I was able to push my body to the limit without having to worry about permanently damaging any muscles or bones.

That's right, I'm starting to do physical exercise. My parents were also surprised when I told them that I'm going to begin the long process of gaining some muscle, but they gave me their full support in the end. My routine at the moment usually consisted of one hundred squats, one hundred push-ups and one hundred sit-ups. It was enough to make my body ache as I'm in really bad shape, but that was apparently good for my muscles.

So, with the thoughts of physical exercise in my mind, I entered my room and threw my bag onto my bed, throwing the blazer I usually wore shortly after. I quickly changed into clothes that were more suited to exercise and stretched for a few minutes before I dropped to the floor and started the long and arduous process of completing one hundred push-ups.

I was very weak and I knew it. Sitting around all day playing video games, reading books and watching anime was not healthy for my body, but I did it anyway. I had no motivation or inspiration to go outside and participate in physical exercise because I had no friends to do it with or the need to even do it, though, so I always thought I could rely on the gym class at school. At least I have a semi-valid reason now.

* * *

It was nearly midnight and I was staring up at my roof with my right arm raised. I couldn't stop thinking about certain subjects because they refused to leave my mind. I knew that I had read some psychology report on the science behind it at some point in time, but I had forgotten all about it and could not remember why my brain would not stop thinking about things I did not want to think about.

The main topic in my brain for a few nights in a row was Yuuma Amano. I had every right to believe that she was a fallen angel and had killed me, but there wasn't enough evidence to actually confirm my belief. Although, if her sudden disappearance and lack of contact as well as the lack in my ability to contact her wasn't enough, I had no idea what would be enough to prove it other than seeing her for myself.

I sighed and clenched my fist.

I knew that something was up with the abandoned church, though. It was most likely a temporary hideout for the group of fallen angels that had been detected in this city, but I wasn't stupid enough to go and check for myself. I had no clue how many there were and even if I did I wasn't even strong enough to take one out on my own.

I quickly cycled to the next topic.

My mind was stuck on that nun I had helped this morning. She wanted to go the abandoned church for some reason and if my suspicions about the fallen angels living there were true, the nun had either left the church in favour of working for the Grigori or had been kicked out for doing something that went against the rules of the church and had been picked up by the Grigori. Both options were basically the same thing, but it was nice to have a little variation every once in a while.

I lowered my fist and shut my eyes. Maybe my brain will think of some solution overnight. I really did want some kind of closure to what I have dubbed the 'Yuuma Incident' but I also wanted some kind of confirmation on my theory about the fallen angels and the nun. I was dying to know these things.

Wanting to know a lot of things also meant that I was most likely going to miss a lot of my valuable sleep time. Knowing that, though, I tried to shut off my mind so I could try and sleep.

I shut my eyes and it was morning all of a sudden, much to my surprise, "So this is what happens when you're both physically and mentally exhausted…" I didn't bother to move my body or check the time. I didn't care about school, anyway, so what was the point of turning off my alarm clock and going back to sleep if my mother would wake me up in a minute? I think the benefits of staring at a roof heavily outweighed sleep right now.

* * *

"Ah, it's you again!" I turned around with a raised eyebrow. It was the nun again and she seemed to be wearing the exact same things she wore the previous day which was just some weird holy garb. This time she didn't have a veil, though.

"What do you want? I'm kinda running late today and I really have to hurry to get to school." I said that I was running late even though I was planning on wasting some money at the arcade today because I seriously could not be bothered dealing with people right now. That included this blonde haired, green eyed girl.

"I wanted to thank you again for yesterday! So, thank you!" I crossed my arms and smiled in amusement. This girl seemed to be very innocent by the way she looked at things and the way she acted and that was a bad thing if she really did work for the Grigori.

"No problem. Now, because I helped you, I want to ask you a few simple questions that only really need a 'yes' or a 'no' in response. Are you okay with that?" The girl nodded and smiled. This is the moment of truth, I guess. I can figure out everything I want with a few words and calm my mind for the day. Maybe I could forward some of the sensitive information I'm about to learn to Rias if I really wanted to, but I don't think she's deserved anything from me just yet.

"Ask me anything you want!" I nodded my head and narrowed my eyes. Here goes nothing.

"Have you ever heard of someone called 'Yuuma Amano'?" The girl shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry, but I haven't." I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I was really riding on that question. My mind was practically full of the 'Yuuma Incident' and I seriously wanted it to stop as I consciously don't care about it.

"Do you work for the Grigori?" The girl stood in silence for a few seconds before she quietly sighed.

"I'm not allowed to answer that. Sorry." If I was able to narrow my eyes any more than they already were, they would be shut.

"I'll take that as a yes, then. Are a group of fallen angel radicals hiding in the abandoned church? Are they planning anything?" The girl was too easy to read. Her hesitation before answering my previous question practically gave the answer away as she had furrowed her brow and had frowned. Another thing that contributed to my deduction was the fact there was absolutely no need to send a nun to an abandoned church in a small town, no matter how big the reason was. Without that piece of information, I never would have figured anything out.

"Umm…because you figured out that I work for the Grigori, there are four fallen angels in the church. I don't know if they're planning anything, though." I sighed. I squeezed as much information out of her as I could, I guess. She doesn't know much about the 'Yuuma Incident' or the plans of the fallen angels, so I guess I could stop my questioning as those were the only things I really wanted to know. There is no point in wasting any more of my time with these pointless questions.

"Oh, one last question! Are you sure you don't know about a 'Yuuma Amano'?" The nun shook her head and I grimaced. She really doesn't know anything about the 'Yuuma Incident', then, and that means more painfully boring thoughts on my end.

"You called?" Long raven hair, bright purple eyes and beautiful milky skin. She matched the description of the Yuuma I knew, but she looked more mature and risqué than the person I was looking for. Her outfit wasn't the same as the one she wore on our little 'date', but it did look fitting for a fallen angel, though. Her 'clothes' were just a few thin lines of a black leathery fabric that covered the important bits with a belt somewhere in the mix and thigh-high boots. Oh, did I mention the two crow-feathered wings sprouting from her back? I'm sure I didn't because her wings aren't a part of her outfit. They're a part of her being.

"Oh, so now I have my answer." I frowned again and let my arms drop to my side as I was given the answer to the question I 'desperately' needed an answer to. I was seriously hoping I didn't get into a fight with Yuuma as I knew I'd get my ass kicked into oblivion, though.

I mean, I have no fighting experience and I was most likely going to go against someone who used to be an angel that participated in a giant religious war. Well, I think she used to be an angel. Angels become fallen angels if they sin, I think, so it would make sense if she used to be an angel. Was she even an angel during the war, though? Yuuma glanced at me in annoyance as I muttered my previous statement to myself.

"You do have your answer to whatever question you were asking. Now, I'm going to take Asia here and if you try to stop me, I won't hesitate to kill you." I felt my skin become just a little whiter than it usually is. I wasn't too keen on dying today when my new life of a painfully boring eternity had just begun, so letting Yuuma take the Asia away was probably the best idea I've had in a while.

"Don't let me stop you. I mean, if I could actually be bothered to care about someone else for once, I'd try to stop you, but I can't. So go ahead. Feel free to take the girl." Throughout the whole conversation, Yuuma had a hand firmly planted on Asia's shoulder. If I failed to comply, I was most likely going to end up dying for absolutely no reason as Asia would be taken away, anyway. I didn't even care for the girl, so there was no problem, actually. I don't even know why I thought of what would happen if I didn't let Yuuma take Asia away. It was weird.

So, with a clear mind and a heart that felt absolutely no pain or guilt, I decided I wasn't going to die today. I had absolutely no chance in a fight that revolved around someone I knew nothing about and I knew the reason why.

I was just totally normal and there was no changing that.

* * *

 **I feel like this chapter sounds...'rushed'...? If I had to be honest, I did write most of this chapter in bulk. I tried to change as much as I could so it sounds smooth and connected, but I'm not too sure if it actually worked. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of phrases that sound awkward and whatnot, so I need feedback on that because I read through this three times in a row and couldn't decide for myself.**

 **Thank you to everyone who followed this story and added it to their favourites, to those who reviewed and to anyone who views this story. I work very 'hard' on 'smashing' this story out for everyone.**


	3. Chapter 3

It was nearly midnight.

The store I worked at was the only one on the street that was open so late on a weekday and I was unfortunate enough to get stuck with this work shift. In short, it was the graveyard shift and I didn't like it one bit as the other person in this dastardly quiet shop would not communicate with me unless we got an order. We rarely get any orders at this time of the night.

I was bored. In fact, there was nothing to do in this store either, especially when you're stuck working the front counter. I know that I'm supposed to clean stuff when there's no one around, but there's only so much you can clean until there's nothing left to clean. Absolutely nothing.

I had nothing to think about, either, now that the Yuuma Incident has been solved along with a lot of my questions having been answered by Asia. My mind couldn't conjure up any wild theories about the things Yuuma was currently doing in this city as I had no knowledge on the politics between all of the religious superpowers. I wouldn't know much about it any time soon, either, as I'm an unimportant human-turned-devil who hasn't even visited the underworld yet.

And then I saw someone looking through the window of the shop with a frown on their face. I couldn't identify them as their face was mostly covered by darkness but they were wearing short denim shorts and a pink shirt with sandals.

Their outfit was rather strange when I considered the time. It practically screamed out that they wanted to be kidnapped and the thought made me snigger. Well, I was laughing until the person stepped into the shop with a sigh.

"Oh. It's you." It was the younger looking Yuuma in all of her 'glory'. She was probably here to order pizza as that was the only thing this store sold, but I had to wonder why she came all the way here when she could have visited an all-day convenience store. Yuuma glared at me ever so slightly after I initiated the conversation.

"Aren't you supposed to welcome me with a smile?" I forced a smile and watched as Yuuma took a small step backwards. When I smiled…my smiles weren't the best. I had good teeth that I looked after, but I couldn't pull of a 'natural looking' smile unless something made me laugh until I couldn't breathe. It wasn't a quality I was proud of, but I like to believe that it's a result of being too cynical. I discontinued my horrific act of smiling and I cleared my throat.

"Stop being rude and I might just help you." Yuuma hummed as she looked up at the menu that was high up on the wall behind me. Maybe I would be able to squeeze some information out of her while she waits for her food? It was a good idea as she was right in front of me and had no way of killing me or fleeing without being caught by the CCTV cameras that hid in the corners of the room, but she'd probably ignore what I had to say, anyway.

"Let's see…I'll take a large shrimp pizza and a medium cheese pizza, thanks." I was surprised when she placed her order. She certainly didn't look like she'd be able to down the two by herself, so she probably had some comrades or friends that didn't have any money to buy food. I doubt one of them is for Asia as she is basically a captive, but it wouldn't surprise me if it actually was. She is working for the Grigori, after all, so it would fall under Yuuma to look after her.

"It'll be…ten minutes, I guess. You're free to wait inside of the store, if you wish." Yuuma nodded and pulled a flip phone from a pocket. It looked ancient but I couldn't judge her as I also had a flip phone. I didn't even use it for anything, anyway, but it's a good idea to carry it around in case I need to use it.

"You're surprisingly polite to someone who has killed you before." I waved a hand in front of my face with a smirk.

"Store policy. It is my duty as a worker to…blah, you probably know all of this crap." Yuuma giggled and I let a small smile slip onto my face. It was nice to have a 'humane' conversation with the being that had killed you. Yuuma's non-hostile actions mean that she didn't kill me on a whim, either. It most likely means that she had been ordered by a higher-up or the equivalent of her boss, "Hey, Yuuma, what exactly are you doing in this town?"

I felt the atmosphere become very hostile very quickly…maybe I shouldn't have asked that question?

"Why would you want to know, devil?" I crossed my arms and stared Yuuma straight in the eyes. It was time to make it or break it, I guess. No pressure at all. Although, knowing that there was potential death right around the corner helped to calm my mind quite a bit. It was a strange feeling, grinning manically as I realised I had a high chance of what I would consider a victory in the face of potential death.

"Oh, you know, it's not like you threatened me over the life of a human or anything because she was talking to me. It's not liked you killed me either. Those two events totally didn't happen. Also, are you here on official business? I'm guessing my 'master' owns this city or something like that so if you really were here on official business you would have met with her first. Am I close?" Yuuma remained silent and put her phone back into her pocket, one of her sharp spear things instantly appearing in the same hand. It was smaller, though. Much more discrete, as well, as Yuuma's arm was by her side. Probably to avoid being caught on the CCTV cameras.

"How much do you know?" I looked the spear up and down before I glanced at Yuuma. She did not look threatening at all when she used her younger looking form. I mean, she looks so young and innocent. I'm guessing she used some kind of magic, though, as people can't randomly change their appearance at will. If that is the case, then I'm left to decide on which form is her real body.

"How much do I know? I know that Azazel won't be happy when he finds out that you've 'wondered' into a devil's territory without their permission." My bluff was flawless. Well, I thought it was and that probably meant it wouldn't work as well as I thought it would. I may be more logical and intelligent than my school teachers think I am, but that doesn't mean I know how to intimidate an opponent with my words. It's a skill I should practice, though, as it will help me escape fights where I'm bound to get pulverized and destroyed in every way possible. Yuuma clicked her tongue.

"You're lucky you're right about that." I grinned as my bluff seemingly worked without an issue. I really didn't think the bluff would work. I knew that Azazel was the leader of the Grigori, but that was it. I had no information on him or his feelings towards politics and his subordinates, but my bluff worked, so I guess I could learn some things about Azazel from my little victory. I crossed my arms with my grin still present on my face. I felt it grow larger than it should be.

"So, I'm guessing it has to do with Asia? Maybe she has some sort of power that you want for yourself because you think it will increase your rank in the Grigori? You can tell me everything because you know I don't care about what happens." My guesses had some merit to them when I really thought about it. In video games and fantasy novels, those with a great power have more privilege or a higher rank than those who don't. It's most likely going to be commonplace in the Underworld as well as there is a Satan with an unimaginable strength and Azazel who is probably the strongest fallen angel. It should be common sense if it already isn't.

Yuuma sighed, "I can't tell you anything." My grin disappeared from my face and was replaced by a frown. Yuuma was keeping everything confidential and that was probably for a good reason. She didn't want to risk giving out information that could harm her later as she had the foresight to see that I'd probably use any and all information to my advantage and I was impressed.

"Well, there's nothing I can do, then. Let's move the conversation along to trivial small talk. Why are you using your younger form, rather than your older form?" Yuuma rose an eyebrow and I mirrored her expression with less enthusiasm.

"I'm surprised that you're giving up so easily." I sighed and shoved my hands into my pockets.

"I know when to give up. Knowing when I'm going to waste my precious time arguing is something I'm proud of." Yuuma giggled and relaxed her posture. I hadn't noticed that she had been ready for a fight since the moment she stepped into the store, but I guess that explains her hostility and overall sense of paranoia.

"I guess I can answer your question because you're being so kind." Yuuma took a deep breath as I noticed that my co-worker placed two boxes on the bench next to me.

"I…kind of thought that the operation involving you would take longer than it actually did, so I only brought clothes for how you're seeing me now." I…didn't think that that would be Yuuma's reason. It's idiotic and trivial, but I guess that was a solid reason. People do seem to be interested in the power that I hold even though they know nothing about it. The same goes for myself, actually. I'm interested in my power but know nothing about it as I haven't been able to summon it. I scratched the side of my head awkwardly as I sighed.

"Do you know what my power is?" Yuuma shook her head and I frowned. It was to be expected, actually. No one knew nothing about my power, but if it's worth killing me over, it must be pretty powerful.

"Sadly, I don't. Why would you care about it, anyway? You seem as if you're unable to fight and your enhanced devil body probably makes up for your crappy power, anyway." Yuuma was probably right. I felt that I had become stronger and faster after I had been revived and that my senses were much better than they used to be, so I felt content knowing that my power was probably garbage and that my resurrection made up for it.

"I'm just going to tell you that Rias Gremory would care a lot. Anyway, that'll be seventeen dollars." Yuuma already had her wallet in her hand, much to my surprise, picking out the money she needed as slowly as she probably could. She was fumbling around with coins and notes, though, so she probably didn't know how to use the currency of this country. But she eventually pulled out the exact change and placed it on the counter. I looked at it for a second before I glanced up at Yuuma who had her hands on her hips.

"No discount for your girlfriend? That's kinda mean, don't you think?" I rose an eyebrow. Yuuma seriously wanted me to give her a discount because we had practically had what could have been considered a date a few days ago. I did tell her that I wasn't ready to go out with her when she caught me hanging around on the bridge so she's probably trying to get the food for as little as she possible could.

"Since when were we dating?" Yumma tilted her head in 'confusion'.

"When we had our date in the city. Did you forget?" I sighed, ran a hand through my hair and clicked my tongue in annoyance. Yuuma was still trying to use that little adventure as an excuse and I was having none of it. I rejected her and befriended her. I didn't accept her fake love because I was a naïve pervert who was lonely and had no friends, so I wasn't going to budgee.

"You may as well stop trying. You know I won't budge and your pizza is going to get cold if you don't hurry. Also, you didn't tell me about your plans, so you only have yourself to blame." Yuuma bit her bottom lip and grabbed the two boxes before leaving the shop without saying her goodbyes and it hurt me just a little. It seemed as if we were slowly starting to become friends for real.

I sighed.

I guess I was too tired to deal with Yuuma in my usual manner, but it is my fault for acting the way I did. We are supposed to be enemies, after all.

* * *

"We're going to exterminate the group of fallen angels tonight." I blinked a few times with a furrowed brow. I don't think I heard that right. Rias, as well as me and her other forced slaves, is going to go and fight a group of fallen angels who could still be considered to be a part of a faction that the devil faction has a truce with? I didn't like the idea at all.

"Rias, you know that this could cause a war, right? We don't even know if they've actually abandoned the Grigori, so killing them could be interpreted as a sign of war. Think this through before you do something you regret." I knew my words were the truth. If Rias took the time to think it through, she'd also come to the same conclusion but it seemed as if she wasn't going to spend a few minutes thinking about it as she had no desire to use her brain.

Kiba stepped forward.

"I agree with Issei, president. You should think this through first." I was surprised that Kiba had sided with me, but I didn't openly show it because Kiba and I haven't had many interactions together during our time at Kuoh Academy, even when I had joined the 'Occult Research Club'. I would have never thought that he would side with me so soon. I guess it does mean he has a brain and that he isn't afraid to disagree with his master.

"Issei is right." This time it was Koneko. It seemed as if this sudden turn of events would lead to a victory on my part. So, with most of her slaves against her, Rias sighed and stared me in the eyes. She had definitely given up on the idea. Without my 'guidance' Rias would have done something she would probably regret.

"What do you suggest we do, Issei?" I pushed myself off of the part of the wall I had been leaning on and went to grab my bag, and after I had acquired it, I approached the door that would lead to my freedom. I opened the door and turned around with my hand on the handle.

"I suggest you apprehend the fallen angels and message Azazel again." I shut the door and continued walking. I had no desire to take part in the fight that would probably result in the death of someone as I had no fighting ability. I was weak and I knew it, even though I was making an effort to improve myself. At least I wasn't going to go and die in a pointless fight tonight.

It was because I was totally normal and unable to contribute anything in a battleground.

* * *

 **Heya. This update's a little slow. Wanted to take it slow and make sure I thought I wrote this as best I could. With what I consider to be a large audience, I feel as if there's a pressure to write to a certain standard and I try to do that. That also means I hesitate to upload chapters. Just like now as I feel as if that last section isn't 'good enough' as I struggled to write from Issei's thoughts.**

 **Anyway, did you like it? Did you dislike it? State in a review or in a PM!**

 **Thanks to everyone who has read this, has added this to their favourites and is following the story. It means a lot to me as a writer!**


	4. Chapter 4

The abandoned church was within my field of view.

I had been paranoid all night, for some reason. It was almost as if I couldn't trust Rias and everyone else to keep the fallen angels alive, but that was for a good reason. Rias would most likely ignore my suggestions in favour of pursuing her own agenda, and I guess that that is why I left to join the fight. Shouts came from the building and the sound of wood being smashed and metal clashing against other material echoed around the area.

I watched as a crimson orb went flying through one of the walls, disintegrating the trees and shrubbery it came into contact with moments after. I didn't have a good feeling about this. I really didn't. I was going to get destroyed in every single way possible.

I took a deep breath, shut my eyes for a moment and continued walking. My curiosity was taking over, I think. Maybe I was actually going to fight because I wanted some experience in the battleground, but I couldn't figure it out as I was unsure as to why I was even here in the first place. I didn't even care about the things Rias did and I had made that clear to both Rias and Yuuma several times, so that made it harder to guess why I was approaching an abandoned building that was inhabited by paranormal beings in the middle of the night.

There were multiple shouts of pain from inside the church, so I sighed as the large double doors were flung open as a fallen angel was assumed to have been thrown into them. They hit the ground back first, tumbled around a bit and then slid to a stop. Right at the base of my feet. They didn't blink and they weren't moving, but I could tell they were still breathing as their chest slowly rose and fell. That was a good sign for me. However, as I looked down at their face, I came to a realisation.

This fallen angel was the one that had killed me the second time around!

But he was knocked out, so it was fine. I brought some cable ties with me just in case, though, but they probably weren't going to keep the guy restrained. I could always give it a shot, I guess. So, with my best efforts, I rolled the fallen angel onto his stomach and pivoted his arms so they were on his back and secured the cable tie so it was as tight as it could be.

I took a step back and admired my handiwork. It was a rather neat job, even though I didn't participate in knocking the guy out. I sighed and stepped into the church, though, looking around for any present danger. But it was empty. There was no one in the rather small building, but there were a few broken swords lying around the place as well as pews that were either completely fine, broken in half or smashed to bits.

I was surprised. Was this the true strength of Rias and the other forced slaves? It most likely was, if I had to take a guess. So far, I had only seen a single fallen angel and no one else, so it actually had to be. If I was wrong, then I'd doubt my future guesses and decisions for quite a while.

However, as I was thinking about whether or not the destruction was caused by my new 'friends', I was also figuring out where they had gone. I mean, you don't just knock someone out and leave, so they had to be in the vicinity. The only place that they could have gone was under the building, I guess. I mean, I didn't see or hear them leave and there was nowhere else they could go, so down was the obvious answer.

I walked over to the out of place altar. Back at the entrance of the church, it seemed to be pushed out of place, but I never would have thought that it would be hiding a freaking staircase out of all things. Well, it should have been obvious as the group could have only gone under the building, but I still wouldn't have thought that there would have been a staircase. The altar seemed to be very heavy to push, though, and I couldn't think of anyone in the peerage who would be able to push it back far enough. I mean, everyone looks physically weak, so there was no hope. Unless one of them has a special ability from their piece that was used to revive them. I shook my head to clear the subject from my mind. I didn't need any distractions.

I made my way down the staircase. It was a tight fit, but that was something I should have expected from a passage that was well hidden. My journey down was short, though, and rather dark, but the very large cavern that it lead to was rather surprising as it was warm and well-lit.

The roof was high and the walls were wide. It was mainly made out of the natural rock that was found in the area, but there was a stone staircase on the other side of the room with a wooden cross. Asia was chained to the cross with an older Yuuma standing in front of her, looking down at a horde of black clothed people that were surrounding something or a certain group that I had a relation to. It was definitely the group, though, as there was nothing in the world that would attract a whole horde of suspicious looking people.

So I decided to stay put on the staircase. I was going to die if I tried to do anything, so there was nothing I could do. I have no fighting ability, no magical ability, no suicidal tendencies or anything else that comes with the standard hero package.

I quietly sighed and scratched the back of my head.

There was nothing in the cavern that I could use to my advantage, unfortunately, unless shouting out and grabbing Yuuma's attention offered some kind of advantage. The horde started attacking Rias and the rest of the peerage in waves after a few inaudible words from Yuuma. Needless to say, there were many cries of pain from both parties. I couldn't see much, though, but what I could see entailed that Kiba and Koneko were bleeding heavily while Akeno and Rias seemed to be fine.

The blonde idiot and the quiet midget were going to get themselves killed at this rate and I didn't want to deal with the consequences of my inability to act. It would probably hinder my freedom to do anything as Rias would blame their deaths on me for not doing anything when I could. Kiba took a sword to the stomach and crumpled to the floor, holding the hole that had been made in his body to try and stop the bleeding. Koneko turned to help Kiba but fell face first to the floor, appearing to have been shot in the head by something I didn't see or hear.

I grimaced.

I really didn't want to die so soon. With an eternity ahead of me, there were a lot of things I could do and see. There was the development of the earth and its inhabitants, as well as our technology that has anchored me to this rock planet. Maybe I'd be able to visit other planets and galaxies in my life time if I lived long enough, but I don't think I'd have the chance.

On the other hand, I'd be stuck with a grieving master that I didn't like if I really didn't do anything.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Kiba and Koneko seemed to be pretty strong so they most likely obtained their injuries from protecting their master. That's an admirable thing to do, so I guess it's my turn to protect them. And I just realised that that's a cliche and corny thing to say when your comrades are facing potential death.

The cons of not doing anything heavily outweighed the pros, though, so if I did die, at least I know that I died doing something for other people, even though I only care for myself. If I survive, maybe I'll be appreciated for once in my life. How would I start fighting, though? If I tried to attack the horde, I'd surely get overwhelmed and die instantly. If I tried to fight Yuuma, she'd definitely kill me as she's way stronger than me. There was no hope for me. I was dead either way.

So, with that in mind, I turned around and started my short journey that would lead to the outside world. I wasn't ready to kill myself, it seemed. It also seemed as if I was still lacking the capabilities to care about anyone other than myself. I sighed again.

I had a feeling that everything would be alright in the end. Of course it would. I mean, even though I haven't seen it in action, Rias can teleport, so everything really will be fine in the end. Teleportation solves everything unless it has a limited number of charges to it. It means you can escape from anything you want.

As I reached the top of the staircase, my eyes suddenly felt heavy. It was rather late in the night and I didn't get much sleep because of work, but I should be fine. A lack of sleep didn't affect me too badly. In fact, it only really degraded my mental capabilities just as much as they would be if I overslept. Although, I heavily and loudly yawned, contradicting my previous statement. Yawning means you're tired, right?

Anyway, I don't regret my decision of fleeing. I mean, I'd just pointlessly die and that would benefit no one other than those who want me dead. I sighed once more. I realise that I'm making the same points over and over, but they're really the only ones that exist in this little scenario. As I was exiting the church, though, I saw that the fallen angel I had restrained was still in place, eliciting a mental cheer for my pointless success.

"Step no further, devil!" I turned around. Small, short blonde twin tails, large cerulean eyes, milky skin and a single pointed tooth that stuck out of her grin. She looked to be rather young and wore a black gothic dress with white stockings and black pumps. Everything about her was eccentric. I thought she looked rather cute, though, but she was a fallen angel and someone who could kill me. An enemy.

"I'm sure you can see that I'm leaving the premises." I crossed my arms with a frown.

"I can see that. But, because you're my natural enemy, I have the right to kill you! Why were you here anyway?" The fallen angel was a little loud and kind of annoying. She seemed to be naïve and innocent, though, so I should be able to use that to my advantage. I mean, I wanted to escape and avoid a pointless fight. The both of us wouldn't reap any benefits if we fought, anyway.

"Listen, I know this will end in a fight, so I'll say this. I think you're cute and I don't want to hurt you." Her face instantly flushed as if she was a middle student who had received her first compliment. She raised her hands to her face and turned her head to the side, muttering some incoherent sentences under her breath. And then she turned to me with a pointed finger.

"Who do you think you are!? You don't just say those things to a lady!" I rose an eyebrow. This girl really was as innocent as I thought she was. I mean, she had as much knowledge about romance as a grade school student, so what else had the potential to give everything away? It was pretty humorous, though.

"Well, I'm Issei Hyoudou. Nice to meet you, fallen angel. Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to go home." I was about to turn around but I had a feeling that I shouldn't flee just yet. Who knows, maybe this girl would provide me with some interesting moments?

"I'm not going to let you escape just yet! You've embarrassed me and have invaded our land!" I sighed for the umpteenth time and rubbed the back of my neck. There was nothing I could do, I guess.

"So it really does come down to a fight…alright then, I guess I can play a little…" I started to walk towards the girl with my arms by my side. I was tense and ready to respond to anything, but I wasn't too sure I'd have the ability to survive the potential onslaught.

The girl threw a spear that was similar to Yuuma's and charged me by hovering above the floor with her wings. I narrowly dodged the spear and could only watch in shock as a fist was centimetres from my face. I grunted as the fist connected with my face, my head snapping backwards. Shortly after, I felt my whole world turn upside down as I found myself lying on my back, looking up at the night sky.

I titled my head with furrowed brows. I didn't comprehend what had happened in that short span of time as it all happened faster than I could react, "See, you'll never beat me!" The fallen angel stood above me with her hands on her hips, a triumphant grin plastered onto her cheerful face. She looked proud of what she had done so I rolled my eyes and placed my hands behind my head.

"If you want to kill me, go ahead. I'm not complaining, you know." The girl's grin faltered ever so slightly and one of her eyebrows twitched. She's hesitating right now. Because she looks so young and is so naïve, I'm betting that I'm probably going to be her first kill.

"Well…about that…" Her words ended as she sighed and crouched down next to my head, "You're free to leave! I mean, you weren't helping your master, right? That means you've done nothing wrong." I quietly hummed to myself. I was free to go? I really wasn't complaining, but it was a stranger turn of events. Letting me go was rather nice of her, though, so maybe my comment about her looks inspired her to spare me from the pain of eternal silence.

"So, err, don't tell Yuuma I was here, ok? She'd probably hunt me down if she found out." The girl nodded so I pushed myself to my feet and brushed the dust off of my pants. I turned around and shoved my hands into pockets, slouching over ever so slightly. My back hurt pretty badly and slouching over alleviated that pain ever so slightly.

"Oh, you mean Raynare! I forgot to introduce myself as well! My name's Mittelt!" I looked over my shoulder at Mittelt. She was smiling and waving at me so I held up a hand for a brief second before I turned my head back to the front. I needed to see where I was going.

Knowing that I survived a potentially dangerous encounter brought a little joy to my narcissistic and logical heart, I guess. Although, my back and nose are going to be killing me tomorrow. I had no way to heal it with magic or medicine, either, as they were out of my reach. I groaned in pain. At least I learnt Yuuma's real name, so that's one positive thing I've managed to take from this night. I grit my teeth as a shock of pain spread throughout my body.

I was totally normal and I was hoping it would change soon as it brought pain to those around me.

* * *

 **So, err, reading back on this, it sounds kinda…rushed? I'm not sure myself. I felt as if there was more I could say in certain paragraphs and that the paragraphs didn't even connect smoothly at some points, but that's a part of writing, isn't it? I couldn't fix it, either, as I couldn't think of anything to insert while editing this chapter. Could I please receive some feedback on this? Could I also receive some opinions on a potential 'ecchi' introduction to this story?**

 **Anyway, did you enjoy this chapter? If you did or did not, please leave a review or send me a PM that states why it was or was not enjoyable! Tell me if this story is still interesting, as well, and if the quality of this chapter is just as good as the previous three!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Before you say anything, Akeno, I'd like to point out that I know that you know I can't fight." The clubroom was unsurprisingly void of any life. It felt unusually empty and lonely but the busty third year student stopped the room from feeling as if it was frozen in time. It was strange to be standing in there, only hearing the sounds of my own breathing and an annoying frequency that usually came with a deafening silence.

Akeno's body 'jumped' at the sound of my voice breaking the silence, "Ah? Oh…sorry, Issei, it seemed as if I was lost in my thoughts." Akeno giggled like she usually did but it sounded forced and was mixed with a lack of energy. I sighed in response and made my way to the couch that faced the windows from my spot in front of the doors, kicking off my shoes and crossing my legs.

"I can guess that Kiba and Koneko are at their place of residence because they need to recuperate from their injuries and that the crushing defeat has forced Rias to become an empty husk of a person?" Akeno, who had been staring out a window and into the setting sun with a hand gently placed on the glass, had turned to face me with her hands by her side. She sighed, walked over to the couch, sat next to me and placed her head on my shoulder.

I didn't move. Akeno obviously needed some mental support right now and I was more than happy to provide what she needed. I was kind of responsible for what had happened the previous night, anyway, so this was what I felt I needed to do to make up for my inability to act, "I know that you watched us fight, Issei, and I know that you didn't do anything because you knew you would die. You did the right thing but…it's just…it's hard sometimes, Issei. It's hard to fight when you know that you can die and that your friends can die. And you know that all too well without having any experience."

"Well, no one is dead, so that's something, right? Even though Kiba and Koneko nearly died, they're completely fine, so there's no need to be so down." Akeno sighed once more and lifted her head off of my shoulder, standing up to probably make tea like she usually did. I felt as if this conversation was going by way too fast. It was almost as if Akeno wanted to flush all of her sadness out of her and get it done with, but I was fine with that. If it was what Akeno wanted, I could only assist her.

"Even though they're fine, it hurts to watch them struggle to live. They protected Rias and me because they felt as if they needed to and that meant they were giving up their lives for us. They were ready to die for me even though they were fully aware that I am fully capable of protecting myself." I gently shut my eyes and slowly breathed. I didn't know that Akeno was capable of showing such emotion as she was usually a bright and bubbly girl, but every action has an opposite and equal reaction, so it would only make sense that Akeno would be acting the way she is. She's only part human, after all.

I heard a ceramic cup touch the wooden table in front of me so I cracked a single eye open and reached for the cup of tea I discovered, gently blowing on the hot liquid so it would cool down, "There's always next time, you know? I'm not necessarily blaming you, but even though they were protecting you, you had the chance to help them protect you while protecting them at the same time, if that made sense." Akeno sat down next to me once more with a sigh, her head resting on my shoulder once more.

"I found it hard to act upon that. There's…a lot of things that are wrong with me and those insecurities that were made from those errors made me hesitate in the moment." I fully opened my eyes and took a sip of the tea, noting that my mouth was burning from the overwhelming heat of the delicious liquid. I winced as my tongue received the wrath of the hot water.

"If you want, you can tell me these things." I turned my head to see Akeno slowly shake her own, standing up and grabbing her bag from somewhere in the room. She walked over to the door and turned to face me, a small smile on her face. Akeno isn't ready to share her story or her problems, it seems, but I was fine with that. Not everyone can reveal their secrets so easily.

"Thank you for trying to help me. I know you have a hard time caring for people other than yourself, but you helped me in a time of need. I'll see you tomorrow." Akeno bowed and left the room, leaving me to my own thoughts. I shut my eyes once more and sighed, continuing to sip on the tea while filtering through the very fast and strange conversation.

Everyone's been messed up from that fight in some way, I guess.

* * *

"So, Shitori, can you provide me with Azazel's contact information?" I was in the student council room, sitting across from Sona Shitori who was the president of the council. She was also a devil, much to my inherent surprise. I never would have thought that she would have been a part of the paranormal as she was very strict about her schooling and all of the commitments that came with it.

Sona pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Why would you want it? Also, because we're both devils, call me by Sitri. It's my real last name." I crossed my arms and hummed to myself. Sona was a smart girl. She knows why I need the contact information of one of the leaders of the three factions, so I didn't need to give an answer as it should be common knowledge to her by now.

"You know why, Sitri. Besides, if Rias isn't going to do it, I may as well take up the responsibility of solving this issue." Sona nodded and folded her hands together on her desk, staring me straight in the eyes. I contested that stare but with an uninterested air to try and prove how I wasn't going to deal with Sona's mind games.

"Why don't you and the rest of the peerage just kill them? They're invading Rias' territory, after all." I sighed and leaned my head on a hand using the desk in front of me, fiddling with a clump of my hair in boredom.

"How do you think that ended?" Sona pushed her glasses back up once more.

"So that's why Rias and two of her servants weren't present in class." I nodded my head and looked around the small room, noticing a male and a female standing by the door. It was some security, I imagine, as Sona was probably a devil in the higher classes, meaning that she had a lot of potential control in the underworld. It was to be expected, though, as her personality reflects that very image.

"Anyway, are you able to provide me with a way to contact Azazel?" Sona shook her head and I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I should have expected this, actually, as the leader of an entire faction would obviously want to avoid being contacted by everyone who knew the right people. An example of this type of person was me.

"The only thing I can do is pass a message onto my sister who is the Leviathan Satan. She's able to contact Azazel whenever she pleases because of her status." I rose an eyebrow. I have no clue what the Satans are or what they do, but you obviously have to be powerful to obtain the title. I imagine that all of the Satans are high class devils as well as they have the necessary resources to train their powers and strength. They were, in simple words, able to get strong really quickly because they were privileged.

"That'll have to do, I guess. If you get a response from your sister with a time period in which someone will come to fix the issue, please send me a message." I stood up and grabbed my bag, noticing that the sun was starting to fall beyond the horizon. I needed to get home as my parents were probably wondering where I was as I hadn't contacted them to tell them why I was unusually late in my arrival. It was easily fixable, though, as I can call them if something comes up or if something happens that will prevent me from returning to my place of residence.

I swiftly left the room without a second thought. I had nothing else to do or say in that room or in the school in general, so I was going to head straight home. I deserved some time where I could laze around without worrying about anything as the day was a little harsh on my psyche. I did find out what happens when I don't act when I need to, after all, and that was the most damaging thing that has happened to me today.

* * *

"Ah, it's Issei." I encountered Mittelt and the younger Yuuma on my way home from school. They were wondering around the streets for some unknown reason, but they stopped to notice my presence. I sighed, though, and briefly rose my only free hand to greet the pair of fallen angels. I probably wasn't going to be able to go home as soon as I thought because they looked as if they were going to some fancy place for some event. Yuuma wore an expensive looking black dress while Mittelt was wearing the same clothes she was wearing last night.

"Yes, it is indeed Issei. Now what do you want? I kinda want to go home and relax for once in my life." Yuuma sighed and crossed her arms while Mittelt giggled. My reason was pretty bland and I knew that it was, but it was a legit reason that deserved some respect. Everyone wants to rest at some point in their life and they expect that their rest is respected and undisturbed. And the same goes for me because I think I'm lazy at heart, so there was nothing else to say about it.

"We're going out for dinner. Do you want to join us?" Yuuma had asked that question and my only response involved rubbing my chin in thought. Did I really want to go out with two of my enemies under friendly terms? On one hand, I'll be able to taste some delicious food, not that my mother's food isn't delicious. It just gets bland sometimes. On the other hand, I'll probably miss my resting period and will have to pay for my own food. I'll get to dine on some good food with two pretty ladies, though, so maybe I'll have some fun.

I made up my mind, "Yeah, sure, why not. I need to stop at my place to grab my wallet and get changed, so I hope you two don't mind." I shoved my free hand into my pocket and continued walking, Mittelt on my left and Yuuma on my right. We made some uninteresting small talk about the weather and how it has continuously been unbelievably hot and sunny these past few days for a couple of minutes before we arrived at my place, the small two story house that was lit up like a Christmas tree.

I opened the door and announced my presence, "I'm back. I hope you don't mind, mom, but I'm going out for dinner with some friends." My mom instantly appeared from the kitchen, her eyes watering. I rose an eyebrow as I didn't quite understand why she seemed to be tearing up. Was it because I was going to skip a meal of hers for the first time, or was it because I was finally doing something with the people who I consider to be my friends? I think it's the latter.

"Are your friends here, Issei? Don't be rude and invite them in! It's cold outside and you don't want them to get sick." I sighed and rubbed the back of my head, kicking my shoes off of my feet and turning around. I really didn't want to invite the two in as my mom will absolutely destroy any pride and dignity they think I have because she's…eccentric in a bad way.

"Feel free to wait inside if you want. It's cold outside." The two girls stepped into my house so I immediately turned around and made my way upstairs. I quickly got changed and hurried downstairs, hoping no collateral damage has been done. However, what I found was actually kind of shocking. Yuuma and Mittelt were having a civilized conversation about music and whatnot with my mother all of people. They only noticed my presence when I cleared my throat, as well, probably meaning that they were too invested in their conversation to actually care about me and my arrival.

"Shall we get going?"

* * *

I sat on the couch in my usual spot in the clubroom. Rias was here today instead of Akeno, so it was just my 'master' and myself that have been left with an awful silence. It felt as if the sadness Rias was showing was turning the room into an ice cave because it was cold and uncomfortable to stand in the same space as her, "Rias, stop beating yourself up. It's not fun to feel uncomfortable because you can't deal with a simple issue."

Rias glared at me, "You don't know what it feels like. You've only ever cared about yourself and that's why I wish I never revived you. You're a narcissistic piece of shit that doesn't help anyone and when we needed you the most, you ran away with your tail in between your legs!" I recoiled slightly from shock. I never expected Rias to snap so quickly, but seeing your close friends stand on the line between life and death must break you quite a bit. Although, it couldn't be too bad if you know that the people in question are going to survive without any problems, meaning that the anger was uncalled for.

"Well, I know I'm the way I am, but at least I don't take my sadness and it turn into an anger that will be used against other people. Also, you saw me there? Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Rias winced as I mentioned how she was unjustly shouting at me. I did kind of deserve a good talking to, but I didn't deserve to be shouted at and treated like utter crap.

"I didn't say anything because I know you're friends with the fallen angels." I took a deep breath and shut my eyes. Rias was…actually right for once. No matter how many times I told myself that they were my enemy, I ended up befriending them. I think I just found my main reason for not acting when I should have, though. I made friends with the person who had killed me and didn't want to hurt her for some reason. Knowing that I tried to protect my enemy hurt me just little, but I know that I cannot undo my actions.

"Well, you got me there. I did make friends with them but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of hurting them." Rias sighed and supported her head with a hand as she leaned on her desk. I shut my eyes and waited for whatever was going to be said next. It was quite a while, though, but I didn't mind the silence. The sadness in the air was practically gone after Rias' short burst of violence, so I didn't have to try and force myself to feel comfortable anymore.

"How was your date last night?" I rose an eyebrow and glanced at Rias. How the hell does she know that I went out with them last night? It wasn't even a date, anyway, but that didn't matter! I wanted to know if Rias was stalking me or something like that because the possibility of my every action being watched started to develop a paranoia that wouldn't go away if it turned out to be true.

"It wasn't a date, but it was pretty fun. Actually, it was a lot of fun. We had dinner at a restaurant and then walked around a nearby park." Rias made no effort to say anything more for a short while, but when she started to form a sentence, flames rose from the magical circle in the corner of the room, eliciting a curse from Rias.

This could only mean trouble, and considering the fact that I was totally normal, I wouldn't be able to do much to help.

* * *

 **This is an unpleasant surprise. An update in about twenty-four hours? How strange. Well, not really. I just won't be able to touch a computer for a few days.**

 **I made sure I made this chapter was best as I could make it (I personally like this chapter the best). I wanted to develop Issei, Akeno and Rias as characters while emphasising the relationship Issei has made with the fallen angels. That's also why this chapter seems to be rushed. I apparently tried to fit too much into chapter, but I tried my best once more, even though I went through it twice. I promise to take my time on the next chapter.**

 **Did you like or dislike this chapter? State your reasons in a review or PM! Do you like or dislike character development and/or fast updates? State your reasons in a review or PM! See you next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A quick note to all guest readers.**

 **If you wish to leave a question or are unsure about something and leave these things in a review, I am unable to respond to it and you will not have any assistance. Please create an account if you wish to have an answer.**

* * *

I covered my face with arms, the overwhelming heat of the inferno causing me to sweat fiercely. The initial ball of flame had grown in size exponentially, licking at the furniture, floor and walls before it exploded outwards to consume everything, including Rias and I. It was obviously some kind of controlled magic as I did not feel the fire burning me, but the heat alone felt as if I was on fire and was going to implode at any given moment.

I grit my teeth, held my eyes shut tightly and attempted to endure the brunt of the inferno, hoping that I wouldn't fall into an unconscious state as my mind was beginning to slip ever so slightly. I had no magic to protect myself and I had no way to move, either, as the heat was restricting and was sapping me of all forms of energy, rendering any type of attempt to escape useless.

The heat increased beyond what I could handle, and my mind slipped further away. I desperately wanted it to end soon as it was too much to bear, but the only escape was to let my mind slip. However, my virtually non-existent pride and very large ego wouldn't allow that to happen.

I had been standing up just a second ago and had fallen backwards onto the couch, my arms beginning to droop and falter. They collapsed to the side and my mind was just about ready to drift away. I bit back a sigh and accepted my fate, relaxing my entire body.

Suddenly, a chill spread throughout the room, my body shivering violently as my warm and fuzzy mind was suddenly dunked into the waters of the Arctic. And then it was gone as soon as it appeared. I snapped my eyes open, staring at the roof, and slowly looked around in the general direction of the magic circle.

Considerably long blonde hair, arrogant blue eyes, pale skin and a smirk. The epitome of an apparent jerk and arrogant narcissist and the one who I assume had caused the miniature supernova in the room. He clenched his right fist shut and dispelled a small puff of fire from the sides of his grip, confirming my suspicions. I sighed.

I looked to my left and saw an apparently pissed off Rias who had slightly dishevelled hair and her hands on her hips. To my right, however, was a grey haired beauty of a woman who had her hair in braids, cold grey eyes, milky skin and red lips. I didn't even have to guess what she had done as the icy mist that was casually coming from her palm gave it away in an instant.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, standing up with my school bag already in my hands. Whatever was going to happen was obviously going to be a mess that I didn't want to get involved in, so the only logical course of action was to escape as quickly as possible. If I couldn't go out the door, I'd go out the window and if that didn't work either, I'd jump through the window regardless of what anyone would do or say.

"Where are you going, Master Issei?" I had just noticed that all parties were staring at me in confusion, except for the woman who had called my name. I looked her up and down, noticed her blue and white maid uniform and rose an eyebrow, pointing to the door.

"I'd like to leave, if you didn't mind. I'm guessing this meeting has to do with an unwanted marriage proposal and I'd rather leave than get caught in the middle of the crossfire." The maid seemed to be surprised for the entirety of one whole second before she composed herself and gave Rias a knowing look. Rias sighed and scratched the side of her head before she stared at me. I looked around me, pointed at myself and furrowed my brows before an idea came to me.

"How exactly do you know about this, kid?" The pyromaniac shoved his hands into the pocket of the blazer he was wearing and looked me up and down. I did the same, noting that the red blazer he wore had a golden pin on it, that his white button-up that was underneath the open blazer had the top buttons undone and that his red slacks were pretty loose. The guy must love the colour red, especially the darker shades as the colour of his fire was of a red colour. However, in response to his question, I grinned and spread my arms out to my side.

"Well, you see, kids, once upon a time, in a land far in the past, there was a war. Everyone in that party, along with its leaders-!" The maid gave me a small glare so I stopped patronising the devils in the room. I would like to believe that the maid had the power to freeze me in an ice cube and I wasn't looking to test my luck as the ice would be very cold and suffocating. In fact, if I did get frozen, I wonder what would happen. I shook my head to clear those useless thoughts from my mind. There were some more pressing matters to attend to and I'm guessing I have to sit through the whole ordeal.

"Anyway. Rias, my darling, I have come to ask for your hand in marriage once more. I'd like to get the ceremonies done with as fast as I can as the wedding is already inevitable. Our parents have already made the arrangements. I have come far from the Underworld, so I would advise that you accept." The blonde guy creeped me out just a little. His face was arrogant, his words seemed to have come straight from the heart, and don't get me started on that lustful stare. His eyes were focused on Rias' voluptuous breasts for the majority of his proposal, so I could only imagine that the guy wants Rias to be his sex slave or something close to that. However, in my personal opinion, the maid would be the better choice but she's probably out of bounds. For now.

I mentally slapped myself. I know I'm a developing teenage boy, but those thoughts were unnecessary. There is a time and place for these sorts of things, but now is not the time. I focused my wondering mind back on what was happening and instantly felt the tension in the room. Rias glared at the guy and flexed her fist as discretely as possible while the guy smirked with his hands in his pockets.

"You already know my answer, Raiser. Now leave before you do something you'll regret." A crimson orb formed in Rias' hands, the same one that I saw the other night when I was outside the church. The thing would completely disintegrate the guy, but who would care about his death, anyway? He seems to be a perverted idiot who's hell-bent on getting Rias into his bed without stooping to the lowest level a male can get. I don't think I need to say the exact words of what I'm trying to say. It isn't a pleasant topic to think about, after all.

"Lady Rias, there is no need to resort to violence. Your parent's orders are final and you will be marrying Raiser soon enough. Your brother supports this marriage, anyway, so you should be happy." I winced. Those were not the words that Rias wanted to hear right now. It would shatter any and all ideas of freedom she had and I could not imagine the rage she would gather from it.

"Grayfia, I am not marrying Raiser. I want to kick his ass in a Rating Game for my freedom, but mother and father won't allow that as I'm apparently too young and inexperienced!" I stifled a laugh. Rias fighting? That's the most laughable thing I've heard this year. The only time I've seen the peerage in action resulted in Kiba and Koneko's serious injuries as Rias stood still and did nothing the whole time. Not to mention the probable reality that Rias actually has no fighting experience.

"You know, Raiser, you're a perverted dick. Why don't you run home and cry to your momma about the fact that you only want Rias for her body." Raiser's expression contorted into one of anger and shock and Rias looked as shocked as Raiser as I was actually saying some nice things to her for once. I brushed their stares away, though, and started to walk towards Raiser, my hands by my side. I had dropped my bag quite a while ago and wasn't too keen on keeping it in my hands without actually needing to hold it, so I left it on the floor next to the maid.

"You…how dare you insult me, Raiser Phenex!" A red light flashed throughout the room and…what the fuck…I was lucky to have raised my hand when I did as a wooden pole came darting from the light in the general direction of my stomach! However, I instinctually raised my hand and grabbed the pole, snatching it from the hands of its user and snapping it over my knee as quickly as I could.

I sighed and wiped the sweat from my forehead as soon as I threw the broken piece of junk to the side, staring straight into the eyes of a black haired midget after the red light had fully died down, "And that, kids, is what happens when you shove things at people!"

And then I felt an intense pain in my stomach, something hard behind me break like a twig, followed by the sensation of a thick tree breaking my spine in every way possible. Did I mention that glass was also raining from the glass and sticking itself into my skin? I don't think I did because I'm trying to cope with the immense pain that I was suffering from. I swear that I'm going to break the person that has done this to me.

I mean, that's when I feel like getting up, anyway. My back and head totally don't feel like they don't exist anymore, so I'll be as right as rain in a couple of minutes. Oh, the intense ringing in my ears and the odd sensation of my blood being projectile vomited from my mouth and onto the prickly grass was absolutely normal as well, not to mention the fact that I was face first in the dirt and unable to breath.

Actually, I could barely breathe, so I took slow deep breaths and managed to summon enough energy and strength to lift my head, despite the immeasurable pain I felt. I hurt so badly that words could not describe how I felt. I guess it would be easy to say that it felt as if tonnes of concrete had been dropped onto your spine and back, but that was not doing the pain any justice. It might be comparable to being sucked into a black hole and crushed, but no one knows what that feels like so it was out of the picture.

Anyway, I saw Grayfia rushing towards me while mouthing something with panic in her eyes. Was she shouting at me or this Raisin guy? Huh, maybe she's shouting at the prick that had thrown me through a couch, a table, half a window and a wall. I can't hear her though, so I relaxed my body. I did give a thumbs up before I fell unconscious, though. Falling into a comatose state was probably for the best, anyway.

* * *

"Oh…fuck…this hurts so much!" I woke up. In bed. In my room. In the middle of the night. Screaming. Yeah, this clearly wasn't going to work out. My screams of pain were silenced by Grayfia, though, as she held a finger to my lips while she was quietly hushing me. I shut my mouth and supressed my screams of pain that should have probably been released when I had been thrown into a tree.

"You're awake, Master Issei. How do you feel?" I took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, feeling my lungs tighten in my chest before I slowly released the air. I shut my eyes, ran a hand through my hair and slowly sighed. I couldn't make sense of where I was as the ceiling of the room seemed to be very unfamiliar to me.

"I…I hurt all over. Thanks for asking, I guess?" I couldn't see what Grayfia was doing as my eyes were shut, but I could imagine her arms crossed under her bust.

"There is no need to thank me. Now, a Rating Game has been scheduled for a week from now to allow you and the rest of Rias' peerage to train and hone your skills as you are at a great disadvantage. For more details, you should ask Rias. Farewell, Master Issei." And with that, Grayfia was gone in an instant. I sighed once more and held an arm over my eyes, using my other to reach around in the darkness. I felt a mop of silky hair, some very smooth skin, two large and squishy mounds and two arms that were securely wrapped around my chest. I sighed once more.

This is going to be a painfully long night and, when I considered the fact that I was totally normal, I had no way of making it go quicker.

* * *

 **Wow, Raisin's (totally spelt correctly) first appearance! I thought I did this meeting justice. I mean, Issei not only patronized everyone in the room like he would in this story, but he broke a little girl's pole and was punched into a tree! That's so amazing! Not to mention the fact that I feel as if this seems rushed. Actually, this is fine considering it covers such little action with a considerable amount of words.**

 **Anyway, I feel as if I should introduce an ecchi aspect to this story. Don't worry, it won't be pointless. It'll have a legit reason. For instance, if Rias was healing Issei in bed using her technique.**

 **Did you like/dislike this chapter? Are you looking forward to a training montage and/or the Rating Game? Leave a review or send me a PM!**


	7. Chapter 7

My mind was as clear as it has ever been.

The cold of the early morning and my sudden awareness had contributed to the emptiness of my mind, but they were not the main cause. No, they were not, but I had wanted to believe that they were. I wanted to believe that the sudden change of pace that had been the result of my inclusion in the paranormal world was also the cause, but I could not force myself to accept that.

Instead, it was a dream I had remembered.

It had started off with my counterpart waking up next to Rias for the first time. The whole encounter was very different and surreal as I had panicked and had been confused, and then it jumped to a scene where I was sitting in my classroom, hearing several whispers that said I had forced Rias into sexual interaction among other things, especially the mention of a title. The leader of the 'Perverted Trio'. The scene changed once more. Yuuma was kneeling on the floor in front of me, begging for my mercy until she was turned to dust by Rias' magic.

I shuddered as I unwillingly recalled that dastardly unwanted title and the despair Yuuma was showing. I did not want such a thing in my mind as it was uncomfortably abnormal when paired with my current mentality and relationships, and knowing that I could have become an extremely perverted kid in the past didn't help to solve my discomfort at all when fitted with the death of Yuuma.

If I was a perverted kid, what would have been different? Would I really kill Yuuma?

I shook my head and gently slapped my cheeks. There was no need to worry about a silly dream when I had more important matters to worry about, but it was...depressing on a personal level. I couldn't think of the word that would best describe it, though, and that went to show how concerning I thought it was…

I think I need to go for a walk. To clear my head further or to distract myself, I'm not sure, but I wanted some kind of release from my room that had suddenly become a catalyst for my abnormal thoughts and dreams.

So, with my school uniform protecting my modesty and body from the unusually cold morning, I aimlessly walked through the quiet streets as the sun slowly pushed itself over the horizon. The sky was a dark red as the sun peeked over the top of a hill and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

I sighed.

My thoughts on the strangely realistic and vivid dream wouldn't waver. They were infinitely repeating the dream over and over, analysing every little detail to find anything that would tell them it was a dream. But they couldn't find anything. No errors in the dreamscape, no out of place figures or people, no changes in a person or their personality…nothing was different.

Was it the reality I was actually living in? Was my resurrection as a devil all a dream? Am I even alive anymore?

I stopped in the middle of the street and held my head in a numb hand. My teeth were clenched and I hadn't noticed the intense grip my hand had on my hair. I was taking this silly dream way too seriously and I consciously knew that.

But something inside of me was telling me it wasn't just an ordinary dream. It was too real for it to not be a dream. Every word I spoke, everything I did, every emotion I felt, everything I _saw_ and _heard_. It was simply too vivid to be anything other than a reality that I had been a part of.

I slowly took in the cold air and held a hand over my heart. It was beating slowly despite the chaos and anxiety that was running amok in my head. My beating heart helped to sooth me. It assured me that this was the real me and that I had just experienced a very realistic dream.

I believed it.

* * *

The club room was rather quiet that afternoon. Even though everyone was present, not a word was said once I had entered the room. There was an unusually heavy atmosphere and a sullen air, something that I couldn't help but notice upon my entry.

I had sat in my usual spot on one of the couches and had sat silently, waiting for someone to say something, anything, to break the approaching uncomfortableness of the room. The wind gently blew on the trees outside the window, the sound of the rustling leaves forcing a sigh out of me. It seemed as if no one was going to attempt to say anything, not even a greeting, as they all seemed to be caught up in their own thoughts.

"So, Kiba and Koneko, how are you?" Kiba glanced at me and loosened up, pushing himself off of the wall he was leaning on with his arms by his side. He shot me a small smile, one that I knew was very fake, and turned to look at me head on.

Koneko, on the other hand, continued to silently chew on some candy like she usually does. I took no mind of her, though, as Kiba was now my centre of attention, "I'm doing just fine, thank you. Yourself, Issei?" I glanced at the window next to Kiba and supported my head with a hand, sighing in response.

"I've been doing fine, I guess. These past few days have been a little overwhelming for me because I'm new to this devil stuff, but I'm doing fine now. I think." Kiba nodded once and turned his head to stare at Koneko. I had realised that I hadn't heard Koneko mutter a single world since I had met her, but it's common knowledge that she doesn't talk much.

"How are you, Koneko? Better?" Kiba had asked Koneko with a smile, his cyan blue eyes glinting in the light. Koneko nodded in response to Kiba's question without opening her mouth to speak, but she did glance in my general direction once or twice after.

I kicked my shoes off with a sigh and slumped down in my seat, deciding on what I should do in the clubroom. The tension was nearly unbearable and it didn't help to see that Rias was glaring daggers at me with an apathetic expression.

"Is something the matter, Rias? Perhaps it's the meeting with Raiser that has you worried." The muscles in Rias' face visibly relaxed as she frowned and groaned in annoyance, her head in her hands. Her head shot up shortly after, though, her blue-green eyes slowly surveying the room. Rias sighed and swung her head backwards to look at the roof.

"Well…there's not going to be a Rating Game…according to my brother and parents, my inability to dispose of a group of fallen angels means I won't stand a chance in a Rating Game...I'm set to have the engagement party next week in the Underworld." I shut my eyes and released a shaky sigh as my whole body tensed up.

The contents of my dream came rushing back to me, infiltrating my mind and my ability to think. A million thoughts were rushing through my head at once, but one single line stood out from the rest. What if my dream was the natural course of action that was supposed to happen?

If that ended up being true I don't know what I would do. It would essentially mean my whole existence was some kind of elaborate lie as someone or something has acted in a way that would change the universe. Am I supposed to be a perverted kid? Was I supposed to kill Yuuma?

If those things were true, we'd certainly be able to participate in the Rating Game as we would have shown our strength. It may not have been enough to beat Raiser, but at least we would have had a chance, despite the fact that his peerage is easily stronger than ours.

I slowly clenched a fist while my eyes were wide with shock. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but Akeno beat me to it, desperation clouding her eyes, "Rias…there's nothing we could do, right?" Her voice was filled with sadness.

"There isn't, Akeno…" Rias had almost immediately responded, but something had held her back. Whether it was hesitation or depression, I did not know, but Rias' answer was delayed and had sounded as if it was a forced statement. That led me to believe that I couldn't appreciate the fact that Rias was giving up so easily.

"Wait a second, Rias. Grayfia told me there was going to be a Rating Game last night while you were…healing me?" Rias sighed and buried her head into her hands once more, an uncomfortable silence filling the room. I shot a glance at Akeno and she shook her head slowly, a frown present on her already distraught face.

"My parents have changed their decision on the Rating Game. After they had found out that we weren't able to subjugate a group of stray fallen angels, they thought that we would be pointlessly crushed without a chance of winning." Rias' words were muffled and hardly audible, but I was able to understand what she was saying. There was no way we would have a chance of breaking off the arrangement and knowing that we were powerless forced me to sigh and stand from my chair. I didn't want anything to do with this group of people anymore. I didn't want a forced slavery.

"It was nice to meet all of you, then. I'm not interested in slavery and that means I don't want to have any relation to you or your group anymore. I wish you the best of luck." I grabbed my bag and ignored the shouts of protests. Rias said I would be hunted down and killed as I would be classified as a stray devil, Akeno tried to persuade me to leave, Koneko asked to me to stay and Kiba…well, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and tried to ignore my presence.

It was very out of character.

* * *

"Again!" I lunged at a Yuuma that was currently maintaining her older form, my right fist pulled back while the left guarded my face. I launched my fist forward as fast as I could and grit my teeth as Yuuma dodged, landing a punch on my stomach. She jumped back and watched as I clutched my stomach with my mouth shut tight to hold back a groan.

Yuuma and I had been at it for hours, exchanging blows in hand-to-hand combat to improve our skills. Well, it was mostly Yuuma beating me up without any mercy as I was too slow for her. She had given me some advice that she said would help me, but it didn't do anything at all. In fact, it only made things worse.

"Issei, you're too slow and obvious. You're always on the offensive and never try to block my attacks. Take it slow this time and counter when you spot an opening." I straightened my back, wiped some sweat from my forehead and nodded, raising my fists once more. All I have to do is block her attacks and strike back when she starts to get tired or slips up, but it's easier said than done.

I realised that Yuuma was stronger and faster than me despite her slim frame. She had no muscle on her body whatsoever so I wound up surprised when I had been thrown over her shoulder during our first bout of fists, not to mention the fact that she has plenty of experience in the battlefield.

I slowly shook my head to shake away the anger that had been building up in my mind. The silence of the forest during the middle of the day was relaxing and peaceful but it also carried some kind of eerie feeling at the same time. It made me feel unsafe for some reason.

"Start!" Yuuma's shouted echoed throughout the empty forest, ringing in my ears. I took a deep breath as she jumped towards me, her first strike nearly getting through my guard and into my stomach once more. I jumped to the side and twisted on the balls of my feet to face her once more, narrowly catching a fist that was aimed at my nose in the centre of my guard.

Fist after fist, dodge after dodge and some minimal damage along the way.

I narrowly ducked under a right hook that Yuuma had thrown. It was a little sluggish compared to her earlier attacks which meant she was getting tired. It was my chance to finally injure her.

As quickly as I could, I pulled my left fist back by a few centimetres and released it with as much speed and strength as I could. I grinned as my fist was about to connect, a manic look in my eyes. Time seemed to slow down as the extension of my body inched closer and closer, my eyes glancing up at Yuuma's face. She was smirking at me, glee in her eyes.

I returned my gaze to where it was, my eyes instantly locking onto the knee that was right in front of my face, "You need to calm down, Issei!" I was sent flying across the small clearing we were fighting in, experiencing the same pain I had endured yesterday afternoon but in a smaller dose.

"I don't think I'm making much progress." I really wasn't. I don't think I was going to have enough time to prepare for my unfinished plan, either, as I was totally normal and was incapable of acquiring the strength and speed that was needed to fulfil this plan.

* * *

 **A slow update? Yeah…sorry about that! I took a little break because I felt as if my initial views and plans for the story and Issei were slipping away as I smashed out chapters that weren't of a particular quality at all. I'm all good now, though, so don't expect an update that will take as long as this. I want to maintain the quality of my writing, though, so they may take a little longer at times.**

 **Did you like or dislike this chapter? State your reasons in a review or a PM! Have any questions? Leave the questions in a review or a PM!**

 **Also, to the guest that had told me the story would be better with chapters that had more words! I cannot force myself to write more than what I think should be in a chapter. It's hard to explain, really, but you should know that the small word count is what gets the chapters out faster!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for one hundred followers! You guys boost my confidence in my writing!**

* * *

I was afraid to stay at home.

Rias' parting words had hit some kind of unconscious fear in my mind. She told me I could be hunted down and _killed_ because I had willingly abandoned her; my 'master'. If I was afraid to stay home, would I even be able to sleep? I was unable to. I sat through the night with my eyes wide open, my exhaustion growing over the next few days.

The abandoned church was my only form of sanctuary. It provided me some security and safety that allowed me to sleep for minimal amounts of time as I had avoided Kuoh Academy like it was the plague. I was constantly paranoid, weary of my surroundings and forever tired. There was nothing I could do to help myself.

Yuuma took notice of my fears on the first day and had tried to comfort me, telling me that Rias wouldn't actually hire someone to hunt me down or do it herself. I didn't believe her. I had no information on the procedures of this abandonment and how I would be hunted down so it would make sense that Yuuma's words wouldn't help.

In fact, it was as if I didn't want her help to me. Maybe I wanted to feel this paranoia and exhaustion. I had no way of knowing for sure, though, as I wasn't even certain that Rias was telling the truth. There had been no mention of such a thing in the past, so it could all be a lie. Maybe Rias wants me to stay because she thinks we still have a chance against Raiser.

Maybe Rias wants us to suffer with her.

I had soon told myself that Rias surely wouldn't do such a thing. Our limited interactions had told me that she wouldn't commit such an absurd action. She was too human and emotional to even think of such a thing, even though she was a devil. Knowing that Rias didn't want me to suffer while serving under Raiser made me feel a little guilty of my previous action but that didn't help to change the outcome.

I would still be serving under that arrogant prick regardless of what I did to try and change the future. In fact, knowing that someone will potentially find me and kill me in the future was more inviting than an eternity with a jackass and Rias and everyone else probably knew it.

I had sighed and shook my head with a small smile when I had figured that out. Everyone in the peerage had known that I was going to choose the option that would grant me more freedom as I was the type of person that wouldn't commit myself to a 'master'.

* * *

"Heya, Issei!" Short shorts, black shirt and some casual black shoes. Mittlet stood on the opposite side of the small clearing, her hands on her hips. I sighed in response, looked around the clearing and shook my head. It seemed as if Mittelt was going to train me today.

"So…what are we doing today? Where's Yuuma?" Mittelt tilted her head and grinned, slowly walking towards me. I took one step back out of some kind of fear and felt my muscles instantly lock up. I bit my lip and watched as Mittelt stopped in the middle of the clearing, her grin wider than when it had started.

"You're afraid, aren't you?" I nodded once and let my body relax, flexing my right fist as it lay by my side, "Why?" I was tired. I was more than tired, actually, teetering on the edge of passing out from the inescapable exhaustion. My lack of proper has sleep has been catching up to me and it affected my mind and its ability to form coherent thoughts and words.

"I abandoned Rias because of some stupid politics. She said I'd be hunted down and killed." Mittelt nodded once and raised a hand to her chin, stroking it in thought. Her actions were oddly comical despite her serious expression and stiff stature and they helped my mind relax just a little.

"The red head?" I nodded for the umpteenth time that day, deciding to not speak and focus on staying awake, "I'm guessing she's being married off to some guy." I nodded once more, this time with my eyes shut to focus on the silence of the forest, "With what little knowledge of the peerage system and devil politics I have, I have concluded that you don't agree with this marriage because you have fallen in love with your master!"

I glared at Mittelt and watched as she chuckled at her own…'joke', "Don't be stupid. The guy is an asshole and would treat me like shit because I 'embarrassed' him." Mittelt awkwardly coughed once and glanced around the clearing, looking at everything but me.

"That makes sense, actually. I don't blame you for leaving. Anyway, don't be so…paranoid over this whole thing. You're not going to be killed, only captured." I sighed and raised a hand to my face, massaging my forehead with two fingers. I felt the beginning of a headache form from Mittelt's oddly innocent statement.

"Being captured will be worse than death as I don't know what they'd do to me." I lowered my hand and sighed as I realised that I had probably made a mistake. Mittelt was right in what she had said about being captured. I'd be alive and wouldn't be dead. That was a plus, but not knowing what would happen to me after my capture was what made me afraid. Dealing with an asshole for an eternity was probably better than figuring out that you will most likely be tortured or maimed or something along those lines.

"Good point. So, umm, why are we training, anyway?" I shoved a hand into a pocket and fiddled with my cell phone, checking the time among other trivial things.

"I want to become strong enough to protect myself." I had broken the silence that had been building up as I shove my phone back into my pocket. I glanced at Mittelt, saw that she was thoroughly unsurprised and oddly unhappy with my answer, and sighed.

"Why do you want to become strong enough to protect yourself?" I had to think about my answer. It was true that I wanted to protect myself because I was currently in danger, but was there any specific reason other than what Mittelt had already known?

"I'm…not sure…" Mittelt shook her head and clicked her tongue in disappointment.

"Well, I'm leaving then." I sighed and watched as the small blonde turned around and left the clearing, disappearing into the mix of browns and greens that made the forest. I had nothing to do, nowhere to rest and no way to become stronger. I think I learnt a lesson from this encounter, even though it wasn't mentioned. I was just able to pick it up without having to think about it.

 _Strength without resolve is useless._

* * *

"So, I'm guessing you've figured who I am, Issei?" Spiky blonde and black hair, brown eyes, a smirk and black facial hair. He looked rather young and seemed to be mischievous and idiotic, but the power that he was emitting confirmed my suspicions.

Azazel, the leader of the Grigori and my apparent enemy, was sitting opposite me in a maid café. How did we get to the maid café? I'm not sure. He grabbed me by the shoulder and we had appeared on the street in front of the place.

"I have, Azazel. Now, I must know. What is the leader of the Grigori is doing with a low-classed devil that has apparently gone stray?" Azazel leaned back in the booth, his smirk turning into a grin. I, however, sat rigid and ready for action, not that that would do anything as Azazel could kill me within an instant.

"Well, you sent a request for someone to apprehend some stray fallen angels in your master's territory, right?" I nodded silently. Azazel shot me a quick thumbs up, hailed down a cute looking maid and order some food, "You want anything, kid?" I rose an eyebrow and expected some kind of reassuring gesture, but when Azazel huffed in annoyance a few seconds later, I quickly skimmed over the menu and ordered my own meal. The maid left shortly after, calling the both of us 'master'.

"Yeah, I did. They haven't exactly caused any trouble, but my 'master' doesn't like their presence." Azazel hunched over the table and supported his head with a hand. I relaxed a little and rested a hand on the table, slowly tapping a finger against it.

"It's Yuuma and Mittelt, isn't it?" I sighed and nodded in response. I wasn't surprised. Azazel would obviously know who goes missing and when they do as he's their leader, but I wasn't expecting him to figure it out so quickly.

"It is." Azazel sighed in abject disappointment and leaned back into the booth once more.

"Those two…is there anyone else? There are currently a few stray fallen angels, so I need to know if they're worth sparing as I'm supposed to kill them. Fallen angels are in short supply these days." My heart stopped. Azazel was going to kill Yuuma and Mittelt? I couldn't believe it at first but I had to accept what he had said as truth. There was probably nothing I could do about it, either, as Azazel would have an unbelievable amount of strength, "I can tell you're afraid and in denial, and you have every right to be. Following an ancient creed, all of those who abandon their faction deserve death."

"You're kidding, right?" Azazel shook his head. I released a breath I didn't realise I was holding and shut my eyes, a hand running through my hair. My eyes unwillingly snapped open to see the man in front of them, to see if he was telling the truth, to see if it was all a sick joke.

"It's a part of nature, kid. Everyone will die someday…even your friends..." Our food was placed in front of us. Azazel thanked the maid after she cast a 'magic' spell on our food and watched as she turned to attend to some people that had entered the café, muttering some incoherent phrases under his breath.

"Ever since I've been revived as a devil, bad things keep on happening." Azazel glanced up at me as he shovelled his meal into his mouth. I stared down at mine and grabbed a spoon, ignoring the stare I felt on me.

Maybe I could eat my feelings away like any other teenager would?

I shook my head in disgust. That's a pathetic thing to do and I know that I'm not someone who would commit such a horrendous action. I smiled as my ridiculous thoughts seemed to have raised my spirits. Maybe everything will be alright if I try to stop Azazel?

* * *

I sat in my yard in silence. My mind was clear and calm. No thoughts, no troubles. Only my body and my soul in complete resonance. I was at peace for the first time in days. It was nearing the day of the engagement party or whatever it is and I haven't been hunted down yet.

Maybe Rias really was lying, despite the things Azazel had told me last night.

But who could I trust more? The leader of a faction or my 'master' who is from a race that is biblically known to be evil? That's the same with the Grigori, though, apart from the fact that they used to be angels. Maybe I couldn't trust either of them? I _am_ supposed to be a stray devil now. In fact, I'm surprised that Azazel hadn't killed me once I had told him that I had apparently abandoned Rias. Maybe it was the way I worded it, maybe it has to do with politics, but I don't understand why he hadn't killed me when he had every right to.

I shouldn't think about these things, though. I'm in the right state of mind to finally relax after days of stressing and paranoia and I wasn't going to ruin it by thinking about these things. Those thoughts had no place in my mind, anyway. I didn't care about Azazel's reasoning or the fact that the two of them could be lying about the whole thing, so why was I even thinking about them.

My eyebrow twitched as I realised that I was thinking about it even though I apparently didn't care. My mind didn't make sense at times and I understood that all too well, but I couldn't figure out why it was doing such things as of late. As far as I remember, I didn't even have many thoughts in my head before I started at Kuoh Academy, so the sudden change that I had not noticed until now was quiet concerning.

I opened my eyes and looked up at the blue sky after halting all of my thoughts. There were no clouds in sight and the azure was almost overwhelming. It was also comforting, though. For some unknown reason. Yeah, I think I like this day. It's relaxing and peaceful. Maybe I should do this more often, just sitting in the yard staring up at the sky.

There was a strong breeze, and I pushed myself to my feet to head inside when I saw a black dot in the distance. It was approaching my location very quickly, and once I could see what it was, all of the peace I was feeling had disappeared almost instantly.

Mittelt crashed into the ground face first without any grace and went limp. She had multiple cuts all over her arms and legs, a stab wound on her side and blood running from her head. She was a mess, "Mittelt!" I was instantly at her side, turning her over. Her face was covered in blood from a wound on her forehead and her eyes were shut. She wasn't breathing.

I don't know what to do.

I don't know what to do.

What am I supposed to do?

I was totally normal, and that's why I didn't what to do.

* * *

 **As of late, I keep on getting reviews that say, "Oh, I like this story but I don't like Issei 'cos he's a jerk." I know that Issei's a jerk. I get it. People keep on telling me that he's a jerk as if I don't understand that. But I do. Because I'm writing this story. People also say that** _ **my**_ **definition is abnormal when I'm writing from Issei's POV. It's Issei, not me. Normality is a social concept, anyway.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, this chapter is the calm before the storm. That's why the segments are short and kind of awkward. My worst chapter yet? Maybe it's because it's nearing summer for me and summer is always hell, meaning my mind refuses to work properly as it's focusing on staying alive.**

 **Did you enjoy this chapter? Leave your reasons in a review or a PM! Do you like/dislike the current pacing and progression? Leave your reasons in a review or a PM!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

_Breath in, breath out. Rid yourself of the panic. Rid yourself of the fear. Imbue yourself with the power to think. Imbue yourself with the strength that you need. There is no need to lose all sense of reasoning and there is absolutely no need to lose yourself._

 _Focus on the task in front of you._

My hazy vision returned to me, clearing up almost instantly. My ringing ears slowly cleared themselves. My hands stopped shaking as I found myself ready to give Mittelt chest compressions. There is no time to mess up, there is no time to laze around and there is no time to ignore the matter at hand.

She is not breathing, she is bleeding, and she is limp. There is a strong pulse on her neck so there was time to work. Restoring her lungs to full function was the most important course of action as she would suffer from serious brain damage if I did not focus on that first, so bandaging the wounds came second.

I gently pressed down on her chest approximately fifteen times and placed an ear next to her mouth. No sound. I couldn't feel her chest rising, either, so I restored my focus and continued my compressions. After a sixty second cycle, I took a deep breath and held my eyes shut.

Mouth to mouth could be the only thing that would save her. This is not romantic, there is no perversion involved, so I shouldn't hesitate. This is to save my friend, nothing more, and nothing less. She had blood all over her face and lips, so I would taste the coppery sensation of her blood.

I cycled through a set of compressions once more and pinched her nostrils shut, greedily gulping in oxygen before I placed my lips against hers. I felt my face flush red with embarrassment, but ignored the heat in my cheeks as I quickly emptied my mouth, ignoring the blood that had seeped into my mouth.

Mittelt's chest rose once and collapsed again. I was making progress, but I didn't have much time. She was still bleeding, her skin turning pale, my grass stained with the crimson colour of her blood. I cycled through compressions once more, "Come on, Mittelt." I had muttered to myself, my teeth grit. I placed my lips against hers once more, filling her lungs with carbon dioxide.

Her chest rose once, twice, and then thrice before she rolled onto her side and moaned in pain. She was alive but still bleeding. I rushed into the nearby kitchen and rummaged through the draws and cupboards. I needed to find the medical supplies my family usually stored away for emergencies as soon as possible. I wasn't going to let Mittelt die so quickly after the stress, confusion and pain I had gone through moments prior.

Nothing in the kitchen.

I raided the bathroom that was upstairs and found bandages, as well as an almost empty box of painkillers. I grabbed them, slammed the door to the bathroom shut and practically jumped down the stairs, skidding around the corners and almost tripping over a rug as I sprinted to Mittelt's side, unrolling the bandages.

I wrapped a lengthy amount around her head, regardless of the fact that her thin blonde hair was blocking the wound and remembered something. I didn't grab scissors to cut the bandage. I jumped up and ran back into the kitchen, flinging a draw open before I grabbed a small pair of the twin blades.

I jumped into the yard and cut the bandage, tucking the loose end under the circlet that I had created before I reached down to pull Mittelt's black shirt up. I gulped, blushed once more and shook my head. This was essential to save her life.

I slowly pulled it back and winced as it was sopping wet, clinging to my hand and Mittelt's pale skin, staining the both of us with her blood. I winced once more as I located her stab wound, watching as blood freely pooled onto the ground below her.

I readied my bandages and scissors, wrapping the bandage around Mittelt's stomach as much as I could before the bandage was a pure white instead of a dirty red with some trouble. The problem was that I had to lift Mittelt off the ground with one hand as she was lying on the side that didn't have the stab wound, meaning I had to hold her up and wrap the bandages around her at the same time.

I gently placed her onto her back once I had finished tucking the loose end of the meters of bandage I had wrapped around under the others, sighing in satisfaction. I still tasted Mittelt's blood in my mouth, but I emptied that useless thought from my mind. I needed to check if Mittelt had any other serious wounds on her first before I did anything else.

I scanned her arms, legs, stomach, neck, face and head before I sighed in satisfaction once more, ignoring the minor cuts that were already starting to heal. It looked as if Mittelt would be alright. I grabbed the box of painkillers and walked into the kitchen, grabbing an empty class from a cupboard. I filled it with water, noticing that my hands were shaking, and walked back to Mittelt.

She had her eyes wide open and was breathing heavily, staring up at the sky, "Here. Have some painkillers." I placed the glass next to her and pulled out two tablets of painkillers. The last of the box. Mittelt tried to raise an arm to grab the glass but let her arm drop, a groan of frustration escaping her lips, "Open your mouth."

I placed a painkiller in Mittelt's mouth and slowly poured the water in her mouth until it was half full. The pill was successfully swallowed on her first try and so was the second. I lifted Mittelt up off of the ground, noting how light she was, and slowly walked into the house and up the stairs. I opened the door to my room and stopped in front of my bed.

Mittelt still had blood all over her and that meant she'd stain my sheets and pillow, "So, umm, do you want to shower first?" Mittelt nodded and I sighed. She could barely move because of the blood loss and the fact that she hadn't been breathing for two whole minutes, so getting her to bathe would be extremely awkward. She also had her bandages on which made things even more awkward, "You know, you're caked in blood and you've got bandages on. I don't think that would be the wisest thing to do."

I gently lowered Mittelt on my bed and took a single step back, "Aza…zel…" I couldn't quite make out Mittelt's word. I motioned for her to speak again as I squat down next to her, "Azazel." My blood ran dry. My heart stopped for the entirety of a minute and my mind failed to process what Mittelt had said.

"Azazel is trying to kill us."

* * *

It took me the better part of twenty minutes to speed to the abandoned church on my bike. In fact, I spent around five minutes running up the steep hill that led to the damn place, having left my precious bike that I didn't ride all too often at the bottom of the hill, unchained and ripe for the taking.

My bike didn't matter right now, though.

Azazel was killing Yuuma and the other fallen angels that may be hiding in the church. Knowing that, I rushed up to the large wooden doors and slammed them open, recoiling as the sights that were seen were things that no one should experience.

There were corpses.

Corpses were everywhere. Black cloaks that were covered with blood, marble floors and walls, as well as the pews, were covered in blood. All I could see was the sweet red of the liquid of life that covered the dimly lit room and the darkness of the areas that the light would not touch.

It didn't hide the body parts that were strewn around the room, having been disconnected from their owners. There were arms, legs, and chunks from body parts that I couldn't even identify because they were maimed beyond recognition.

There was even a head sitting right in front of the door, staring at me. The dilated pupils of the honey brown eyes, the ghostly white skin, the cherry red lips that were shaped into a scream and the short brown hair that had visibly been cut along with the decapitation.

I turned around and vomited out the contents of my stomach, my vision blurred from my tears. I tasted the acidic texture of my vomit passing through my throat and mouth as my mind struggled to comprehend the scene that I had just witnessed.

I wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my shirt and remained hunched over, sweat dripping from my forehead. I gasped for air and blocked my nostrils, realising that the scent of fresh blood was overwhelming the smell of my vomit. I tasted the blood, regardless of the fact that I blocked my nose.

The taste of copper infiltrated my mouth and throat, seeping down into my stomach before it forced me to gag and dry reach. My stomach had nothing left to eject from me. I had vomited all of the contents of my stomach as the sight of a human slaughterhouse made me _sick_ beyond words.

I straightened my back and held my eyes shut. I took a deep breath, attempted to clear my mind and furrowed my brow. For the sake of my critically injured friend and my other friend that is potentially dead, I will need to brave the gore and enter the basement where I assume Azazel and Yuuma are.

I turned around and held a hand to my nose, pinching my nostrils shut.

It was time to enter the slaughterhouse. I took my first step forward and immediately noticed the squelching of my shoes as the floor was literally caked in blood. I managed to get halfway through the hall without stepping on any body parts before I stopped in my tracks.

On the wall, written in blood, were the words, _"Stay away, Issei. You don't want to die, right?"_ Below that small message was a crucified woman who had purple hair. Her black wings were seemingly cut in half on each wing, meaning she was a fallen angel, and the missing halves were nowhere in the area.

Azazel is truly a monster, I had thought, and it was probably true. I shouldn't have expected anything less from a fallen angel that has been alive since the beginning of time.

I clenched a fist and steeled my heart. I wasn't going to let Azazel get to me now, not after I saved Mittelt. Not after the onslaught I was standing in. With a mind filled with determination, I continued my gait and watched the ground, avoiding more body parts. The gaps in between the limbs, torsos, and heads was getting smaller, so it was no surprise that I had ended up crushing a hand with a foot.

I had ignored the crunch the hand had made and continued through the hall, edging closer and closer to where the altar should have been and where the fallen angel was crucified. The altar was nowhere to be seen, and the staircase was as dark as the night.

I inhaled through my mouth and exhaled in a similar fashion, hesitating. I didn't know what was waiting for me down in the hall, and I certainly didn't know if I was going to live another day after the encounter I was soon to have.

I let both arms fall to my side.

It was time to enter the lion's den.

* * *

Yuuma bounced off of the ground and coughed up buckets of blood after Azazel dropped his leg onto her stomach after a flip. I narrowed my eyes and felt my mind race at a million miles an hour, multiple thoughts rushing in and out of the front of my mind.

Yuuma screamed as Azazel casually kicked her into a wall, creating a large crater that forced the wall to crack around it. She fell to the ground and let a hand twitch violently. Azazel sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets, muttering something to himself.

I quietly hopped off of the last step and into the room, noting how empty and clean it was, my body tense, "Azazel. How did I know you'd be here?" Azazel turned to face me. I immediately noticed the blood that was dripping off of his cheek, as well as the blood that stained his beard.

"Mittelt escaped. That's why." Azazel was acting casual about my appearance, and that was obvious because he still had his hands in his pockets and was smiling. I, however, held my hands by my side with my body ready to jump into action even though I know for a fact that Azazel could end me in an instant.

"I see you're killing Yuuma." Azazel nodded and hummed in response, an awkward silence filling the air. After a few seconds of some intense staring, Azazel sighed and turned to face Yuuma, walking towards her.

"Yup. She's about to die now, by the way. Say your goodbyes!" Yuuma struggled to crawl away as her body was visibly broken. I didn't make any attempt to move, even though I wanted to. My body was frozen for some reason. Was it a mix of fear and hesitation? Or did I secretly think that Yuuma should die, even though I had saved Mittelt?

I didn't know, and I didn't know why it was happening.

I _wanted_ to move. I wanted to kick Azazel's ass. I wanted to get the girl at the end of the day…just like the average idiotic hero.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and felt my feet begin to move. My body forced itself to run despite the state of my mind and my arm forced itself into the air, striking at Azazel as I reached my destination. My fist hit nothing but thin air, though, as Azazel disappeared in a flash.

I turned on the balls of my feet and raised both of my arms in a cross guard as I predicted the fist that was about to come. I slid back from the force of the punch and winced as my bones struggled to resist the power that Azazel had sent at me.

Azazel jumped back and raised a hand, lazily throwing multiple magic spears at me. I dodged one, somehow deflected another to the side, saw that one missed entirely and felt the last one graze my side. I hissed in pain as the wounded area felt as if it was on fire.

"Yuuma, get the hell out of here!" I had shouted through grit teeth, waiting for Azazel's next move. I received no response from Yuuma and glanced over at her, seeing her limp body. I grit my teeth further than what I thought was possible and felt them grind against each other.

"She's already dead, isn't she, Issei?" Azazel crossed his arms instead and sighed in disappointment, boredom clouding his eyes, "You will be soon, as well, even if I don't kill you now. You've been poisoned by my spear of light. It's a poison to devils like you, you know."

"Fight me…" Azazel rose an eyebrow and dropped his arms to his side.

"Why?" I relaxed my jaw and grasped my wound, noticing the numbing that was being caused from it. This must be the light poisoning taking affect.

"You hurt my friends, so now it's time for me to hurt you." Azazel chuckled and cracked his knuckles with a manic look in his eyes.

"I'm the leader of a faction, you know. I can end you instantly." I rose an eyebrow and rose my arms, prepared to fight to the death.

"Do it, then." Azazel appeared in front of me, a hand raised. I was expecting a punch and prepared for the impact, but when he flicked a finger at my forehead and sent me flying into a wall, I was beyond surprised.

Especially when it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.

I bounced off of the wall and landed on shaky legs, noticing that blood was dripping from my mouth. I wasn't prepared to fight Azazel and I realized that. I wasn't ready to save Yuuma from certain death. I wasn't ready to _die_.

Azazel picked me up by the head and stared me straight in the eyes. I was able to move, but my body hurt like hell after being thrown into a wall for the second time in my life. Even though I could move, it hurt to live and moving amplified that pain tenfold.

Azazel clicked his tongue and threw me at another wall head first.

The only thing I could do was smile with an unbearable pain in my heart as my hair shadowed my eyes.

* * *

" _Ara? You're awake?"_

 _Buchou's voice came from the living room. When I look, there is Buchou who is sitting where the table is._

" _Ah, Buchou. Hello."_

" _Why are you so stiff? Good timing, let's talk for a bit."_

 _The tealight makes a faint glow on top of the table. Devils can see at night, even if there are no lights. Thanks to that, we were able to train even at night. Then this candle is probably used for looks, then._

 _I then sit opposite of Buchou where we have the table between us._

 _Buchou is wearing a red negligee while wearing glasses and tying her crimson hair into one._

" _Huh? Buchou, do you have bad eyesight?"_

" _Oh, this? It's just for looks. I can think more clearly while having my glasses on. Fufufu, this is the proof that I have been in the human's world for so long."_

 _Buchou chuckles. Even Buchou with glasses looked beautiful…more like, she also looks wonderful when she wears a negligee!_

 _On the table there are loads of paper that looks like a map and battle formation. …Was she making a plan by herself at night?_

 _Buchou closes the notebook with different strategies written on it._

" _To be honest, the only thing I will get by reading this is to have a peace of mind."_

* * *

In a second of a second, I had experienced a vivid sensation as memories that I know I have never experienced had rushed into my mind. I gripped my head, screamed in pain, and felt the wall behind me explode as I continued to fly through the air.

I gripped my hair tight and pulled as my mind writhed and pulsated in pure agony as this memory wriggled into my mind and burnt itself in the furthest corner of my memory, hanging in spot and reminding me of things that have _never happened_.

I eventually bounced off of the floor and hit my head upon impact, rolling to a stop on my stomach. I felt blood run down my face from a gash on my forehead, the blood caking my hair and vision. I breathed heavily as I struggled to comprehend what it was that had happened, my mind continuing to pulsate as the pain slowly faded into a numbing sensation that brought an eerily silent calm to my mind.

I didn't take the silence for granted, though. It allowed my attempts to stand more meaningful.

My mind failed to recall the memory as it slowly disappeared, though, and I could only hold a hand up in the air as if it was a physical object that was floating away from me. I clenched my hand and grit my teeth, "What the…he shouldn't be this strong…!" I heard Azazel's exclamation from my spot in a small dirt tunnel that I had created while flying through the air. I didn't know how I had created the tunnel or why I recalled that phantom event, but it stopped my death and I was grateful to know that.

I slowly pushed myself to my feet, swaying to the side as I felt an overwhelming nausea. I gripped my head with a hand and supported my body on a wall, my breath heavy and laboured. I stayed on the wall, ignoring the world around me as I lost all sight of what I was doing in favour of chasing that new memory.

I grunted in dissatisfaction and dropped my hand from my head, wiping the blood on my clothes before my other hand used the wall as a support for my attempts at walking. The memory was long gone.

I managed to move just fine down the small hall and found that I wasn't experiencing any levels of pain in my body. My mind, however, struggled to function and form thoughts.

I shut my eyes and let my body guide me.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was standing over Yuuma, crouching down beside her to pick her up and carry her somewhere – anywhere that would be safe. I looked around in confusion and noticed that Azazel was stuck in the wall on the other side of the room.

"What…?" I looked down at Yuuma and fell onto my backside, holding my head with my knees up in the air. I had…blanked out? Was I the victim of a concussion that was the result of my head hitting the ground?

My eyes were wide and I was sweating.

My body was bruised and burnt in multiple places.

My right wrist seemed to be dislocated.

But there was no pain. I felt nothing. Just an empty void in my body that consumed all of my emotions and physical feelings. An everlasting cesspool of nothingness that did not allow my body or mind to feel anything. I sighed.

I felt lost.

I felt broken.

I felt lonely.

Even though my mind wasn't allowing me to feel these emotions, I knew exactly how I felt. My heart was telling me what I should feel, but it wasn't allowing me to feel what it wanted me to feel, either.

I felt empty.

I felt useless.

I felt small.

I was a useless human just a couple of weeks ago and what am I doing now? Saving fallen angels that are supposed to be my enemy and fighting their leader who is trying to kill them because of some stupid creed. I know no magic, I don't know how to fight, I'm experiencing memories that I haven't experienced and never will experience, and I'm crying about a little concussion that I had had?

I felt like sitting in silence all by myself in the void, ignoring anything that would happen. I wish I was dead, in a sense, as you don't know what would happen. Would you ascend to a heaven or a hell? Would you be a lost soul? Would you be a ghost?

No one knew. No one knew what would happen to you after death. Yuuma was probably dead. Her skin is a ghostly white and her face is relaxed. Her body is limp and lifeless. Her blood _was surrounding her in a giant pool of crimson_.

I felt a tear run down my cheek.

The first true friend that I had made had…she had died. I was too weak to stop Azazel and save her. I was too weak to even grab her body that was full of life and escape. I was too weak to save one of the few people I had cared about.

Azazel groaned from across the hall as he pushed himself to his feet. I turned to face him, my face a mask of the void I was feeling. I didn't care about my life anymore. I didn't care if my body would break. I didn't care if my mind was destroyed in an instant. My left arm shone a bright white.

All I wanted to do was avenge Yuuma.

All I wanted to do was pull out the secret power I had inside of me.

All I wanted to do was throw away the fact that I was totally normal and end Azazel's _life_.

* * *

 **Now, you might be saying, "You're an ass for leaving us on a cliff-hanger!" Well, tough luck. All good things must come to an end. Anyway, this chapter has some serious plot. The memory from the novel? Plot! Yuuma's potential death? Plot! There's plot everywhere for a supernatural force that is too much for everyone to comprehend! Oh, yeah, Azazel's different for a reason, as well. That's also a part of the plot!**

 **Anyway, I need some opinions. Should Yuuma die? Should Mittelt die at Issei's house, despite his efforts? Should Azazel die? Also, I know that Issei's thoughts are completely screwed towards the end. I did it on purpose.**

 **Did you like/dislike this chapter? Leave a review or a PM that tells me why! Do you like/dislike the cliff-hanger and emotion? Leave a review or a PM that tells me why!**


	10. Chapter 10

When I was a kid, I had been lonely.

The only friend I had had was an orange haired kid that I could trust beyond words. We were inseparable. We played together whenever we could. We would watch anime whenever we could. We did everything together because we could only believe in the other.

That was the extent of our friendship and trust.

One day, he had to move away. His father worked in the higher ranks of the church and was required to move to Europe if he wanted to keep his job. I was devastated at first, but I realised that all good things must come to an end. I was sad, he was sad, and we both knew it. We promised each other that we'd meet when we were older and return to our previous lives.

He left me and I was alone again.

I was the lonely kid at school. I was picked on because I was labelled as a 'pathetic loser' because I sat alone all the time. I didn't mind, though. I was receiving some much needed attention to feed my desperate little mind. I had learnt to deal with it because I had nothing else to do with my time.

I learnt to read people and the conversations that come with them. I learnt to manipulate people because I wanted to get the things I wanted and needed. I wasn't a 'pathetic loser'. I was a 'powerful idiot' that was doing bad things.

I had realised that and had sat on the swings in the park on one winter day, watching as the snowflakes fell without a care in the world. A man had sat next to me that day, his hair long and brown. His eyes were a warm honey brown and his skin was a milky white.

He told me that things would eventually get better if I was a good boy. He told me that if I abandoned all perverted ideals and committed myself to acting like a normal kid, I'd experience wonderful things that would flip my world upside down.

He promised me that if I acted totally normal, I'd be the best person in the world.

* * *

Lanky movements. Empty eyes. Broken smile.

A red gauntlet had consumed my left fist and had filled me with an unimaginable strength. I felt as if I had a chance to beat Azazel. I felt as if I had the chance to set things right. I felt as if I had the chance to _break the promise I had made with that man_.

Azazel had stepped backwards out of something that was akin to fear; he was afraid of what I had become because of his actions that could not be reversed. He had effectively broken my soul into pieces and he didn't leave any room for those pieces to put themselves back together.

That meant there was no room for mercy for the fallen angel. My heart wouldn't allow that to happen. My mind didn't even spare a little bit of my fragile mental capacity to consider the consequences of my future actions.

I'd probably die, but I didn't care about life anymore.

I began to run at Azazel, my feet carrying me as I could not feel my body anymore. The void had consumed all of my feelings and I did not mind. It was nullifying the pain I would be feeling right now. It was supressing my infinite amount of rage. It was supressing my killing intent.

I launched a fist Azazel and watched as he easily dodged it, punching me in the stomach. I was sent flying backwards across the room, but I landed on the floor and slid on my feet. I ran at Azazel again and again, the same thing happening over and over and over and over.

It was an endless loop.

The imaginary pain wasn't stopping me. The fact that Azazel was looking on in pity wasn't stopping me. Nothing was going to stop me because I wasn't going to stop, no matter what.

 **[Boost!]**

I felt power flow through me as an omnipotent voice rang out from the gauntlet. I was faster and stronger now. It still wasn't enough, though. Azazel kept on dodging my attacks and punching me away from him with a frown on his face.

He wasn't even trying.

 **[Boost!]**

The cycle continued.

 **[Boost!]**

It wouldn't stop.

 **[Boost!]**

It would never stop.

 **[Boost!]**

It wouldn't stop because there was no way we could stop it.

 **[Boost!]**

Time had been fractured in this small space.

 **[Boost!]**

When would time be fixed?

 **[Boost!]**

When would this infinite cycle end?

 **[Boost!]**

Why is this happening to me?

 **[Boost!]**

Is it because I'm not normal anymore?

 **[Boost!]**

Is it because Yuuma had died?

 **[Boost!]**

Is it because this wasn't supposed to happen?

 **[Boost!]**

Am I not supposed to exist?

 **[Boost!]**

Is that what the foreign memories are for?

 **[Boost!]**

Am I not supposed to exist?

 **[Boost!]**

The hall was silent as I hit Azazel for the first time.

He flew into the wall on the opposite side of the hall and bounced off of it, hovering in the air. I rushed after him and threw another punch, missing my target as he dodged at the last second, grabbing me by the arm and launching me into the air.

He appeared above me and dropped a leg that was aimed at my stomach. I grabbed the foot and reversed our positions, swinging Azazel around in a circle as fast as I could before I launched him towards the ground.

A giant cloud of dust was kicked up upon impact, obscuring my vision. The hall was silent. No sounds of pain, no footsteps, no wings flapping. Nothing. I crossed my arms and grunted in dissatisfaction. I was hungry for Azazel's blood. I wanted to see him struggle. I wanted him to feel the pain that I would be feeling.

The floor was instantly in front of me and there was nothing I could do.

I felt my nose snap and contort upon the meeting between the bone and the hard ground, sensing the blood that was pouring from my face. My body followed straight after, a few ribs snapping and stabbing at my internal organs as my limbs dislocated themselves from their sockets.

Azazel gracefully landed in front of me. There wasn't a speck of dust on him or a hair out of place.

I grit my teeth, "You're going to die soon, Issei." I struggled to move my body, the pain melting through the void that consumed everything. I bit down on my bottom lip and tasted the blood that was drawn from the wound.

"You're the one that's going to die, Azazel." My voice was quiet and monotone. Azazel chuckled and walked over to where Yuuma's body was peacefully resting, picking her up by the hair. Azazel turned to stare me straight in the eyes.

"You see this? This is the consequence of your actions." He stabbed a spear through Yuuma's heart that demolished her entire chest cavity. What little hope I had of Yuuma still being alive was crushed, and the anger and grief that surged through the everlasting void brought all sensations back to me.

It was almost as if someone had dumped a gallon of freezing cold water on me.

The pain of my broken body forced a scream out of me. It could have been the result of my injuries or Azazel's horrendous murder of an already dead person, but I screamed until I ran out of breath, regardless of the reason. The grief forced me to tear up and sob uncontrollably as I watched Yuuma's body fall to the ground without any grace, crumpling up as blood freely shot from the giant hole in her chest. I slammed a fist down on the hard ground and grit my teeth at the same time, trying to hold back the tears.

"Dammit, Azazel…fuck you…I hate you…I want to kill you…I'm _going_ to kill you… _you're going to die_!" The room was consumed by a red light as I felt a malicious red armour form around me, supressing my thoughts and emotions as I released a deafening distorted roar that shook the room.

Azazel stepped back in fear and swore under his breath as the light died down, revealing my new form. I could care less, though. I wanted Azazel to pay for what he has down. I wanted Azazel to beg for mercy as I finish him off. I wanted him to feel the pain that the people he killed were feeling.

 _I wanted him to die_.

I appeared in front of Azazel and felt my fist connect against his face, his nose cracking under the pressure as he was sent flying into the wall. The wall cracked and rumbled upon impact, rocks falling from the ceiling as it shook. I appeared in front of Azazel again, pulling a fist back before I sent it through his stomach and out the other side, blood soaking my gauntlet

Azazel grunted in pain and grabbed me by the helmet I was now wearing, head-butting it as hard as he could. I stumbled back in a daze and felt the entire force of a million people punching me in the stomach, cracking my armour.

I flew into the wall on the other side and bounced off of it, sticking my hand into the wall to pivot my body as a swarm of spears was hurtling towards me, impaling the wall and missing my body as I attempted to dodge the poisonous weapons.

Using the wall as support, I bounced off of it and flew towards Azazel, a red ball forming in my hand. It connected with his chest and bounced off as a magic circle appeared before the impact, sending a shockwave through my arm.

I hissed in pain and jerked my arm backwards, taking a couple of quick steps back to avoid Azazel's incoming fire fist, "You're pretty good, Issei. But I must say that I'm not even using ten percent of my power!" Azazel's fist slammed down on the ground instead, forcing a miniature earthquake to form under the ground beneath us, splitting the earth apart as the ceiling slowly fell apart, giant chunks of rock and building falling to the ground around us.

"You're going to die, Azazel!" I lost control once more, noticing that the wound I had made in Azazel's stomach had _disappeared entirely_. I grit my teeth and let loose a guttural roar as I charged at Azazel once more.

He disappeared and in an instant, the force of a thousand suns exploding on the back of my head. I felt the red helmet crack and shatter, revealing my bloody face and disgusting expression that was full of malice. I lay still on the ground, attempting to move, attempting to do anything.

I couldn't move.

"Oops. Raynare's body got crushed. Sorry, Issei!"

 **[I, who am about to awaken,**

 **Am the Heavenly Dragon who has stolen the principles of domination from God**

 **I laugh at the "infinite", and I grieve at the "dream"**

 **I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination**

 **And I shall sink you to the depths of the crimson purgatory!]**

A deafening roar echoed around the room as I lost all control of _myself_.

I felt my sanity slip away further down into the void. I felt my control over my own body disappear entirely. I wasn't myself anymore. I saw and heard the sorrow of countless amounts of humans swarming into me.

I was up and running again in an instant as all of my wounds healed, tackling Azazel to the ground with as much power as I could. Instead of hitting the ground, we burst through a wall and out into the forest. We hit the ground and cratered the rock underneath us, rock flying everywhere.

I stared down at Azazel for a split second before I sent a flurry of fists down at him, watching as my fists bounced off of a cross guard he had created with his arms. I roared once more and pulled my head back as far as I could, ignoring the fact that I didn't have a helmet anymore, and sent it down at Azazel's arms, relishing in the cracking sound of his bones upon the impact.

He grit his teeth and I grinned in response.

His first sign of _real_ pain.

I grabbed Azazel by the hair and slammed his head against the floor, bathing in the cracking of his skull against the rock and the sound of blood splatting against the floor. Azazel grabbed me by the arms and threw me off of him, multiple trees smashing on my back as I was sent flying through the air.

I didn't feel it, though. This red armour and the malicious thoughts were preventing me from feeling any pain, let alone any kind of sanity.

I flipped backwards in the air and stopped flying immediately. I was hovering above the ground with my arms crossed. Azazel had pushed himself to his feet and was rubbing the back of his head with a frown on his face.

"For the leader of the Grigori, you are unusually weak." Azazel grinned and crossed his arms in response.

"Well, I've done what I've wanted to do here. I have no need to actually fight or kill you." I let out a grunt and let my arms fall to my side.

"You're going to pay for what you did." Azazel sighed and ran a bloody hand through his hair that was as equally bloody.

"If you can touch me, that is." I set my feet down on the ground.

"I've had enough of your games, Azazel." Azazel shot past me.

I sighed and turned around, staring at his retreating form.

He's going to pay for what he has done, no matter how much it destroys my body.

 _But these thoughts weren't my own._

* * *

It was dark.

Too dark for me to see anything.

All I could hear were the screams of many individuals piercing my skull and the hatred those screams brought with them. I was worried. Not only for myself, but for what was happening. I could vaguely hear distant words that were muffled beyond any kind of recognition, but it was my voice.

I sighed and held my hands behind my head.

I deserved some rest, I guess.

[You do not deserve what you have not earned, partner.]

I sighed and moaned as a small flicker of flame appeared in front of me, illuminating nothing. There were no shadows or no light that was emitted from it. It was just a flame that kept on growing until a giant red dragon burst through it.

It was too tall for me to see its face, but I could tell it was staring down at me.

"I _have_ earned some rest."

The dragon lowered its head to my eye level, looking me up and down with the giant emeralds that were the eyes of the beast.

[Have you earned rest if you're going to kill the leader of a powerful faction, die, and then never think again?]

I briefly nodded and stared at the dragon in the silence that followed. I sighed, realising that the dragon wanted me to continue speaking my thoughts.

"What's the point of living anymore?"

The dragon huffed and raised its head once more.

[You're a foolish human. You had so much potential but you're letting it go to waste. You should have never befriended those fallen angels. If you ignored them we wouldn't be in this position.]

I sighed again and shut my eyes. The dragon ignored what I had to say. I didn't care about the things that other people did anymore. I'd be more than happy to die knowing that. I'd be more than happy to kill Azazel knowing that. I could care less about Rias and the rest of peerage now knowing that. In the end, I didn't care about anything and I knew it all too well.

"I had potential? That's funny. The last time I thought I had power I was punched out a window and into a tree."

The dragon chuckled.

[Is it because of that meeting you had with that man ten years ago?]

"I guess. I'm just a normal, average teenager, you know? I was never destined for greatness or anything like that. I was supposed to grow old, marry a beautiful woman and die. Nothing more, nothing less."

I cracked an eye open and glanced up at the dragon.

[If you want to believe that, that's up to you. If you want to die and leave your friends, that's up to you…I have no control over your body, so it's all up to you…oh, by the way, the armour you're using right now – it's using up your life force, the essence of life.]

I sighed and cracked both of my eyes open.

"Are you kidding me? I guess I'm gonna die sooner than I thought, I guess."

[You're going to die within the next five minutes if you don't do anything.]

If I had a liquid in my mouth, it would have been spit all over the place.

* * *

I had pinned Azazel to the ground and was breathing heavily. Most of my armour had cracked or had been shattered. All that was left was the original gauntlet on my left arm, a heavily cracked chest piece, a shin guard that was a twitch away from shattering and a boot that was undamaged.

"I've got you now, you piece of shit!" Azazel was in bad form. An arm was broken, both of his legs have snapped and bent at unnatural angles, he had a hole in his stomach and his jaw was broken.

"Before I die, I must tell you something, then. This is the first time this has come to this, after all."

"What do you mean?" A bead of sweat that had mixed with blood dripped onto Azazel's cheek from my forehead.

"In the distant future, the Trihexa had attacked and had destroyed the earth. In a desperate attempt to fix things, a future Issei and myself had built a magic circle that was meant for time travel and had attempted to go back to fix things."

"That's impossible!" Azazel slowly shook his head and sighed.

"It's the truth. That man you met ten years ago was you from the _future_. That man was what you _would have become_." I grit my teeth and inhaled deeply.

"You're lying!" Azazel grit his teeth.

"I'm not lying to you! I'm trying to fix the future right now!"

"If that's the case…where am I!?"

"You…? He shattered because the timeline couldn't handle his presence. There were two Ddraigs, the dragon in your Sacred Gear, in the universe at the time so the universe destroyed that Ddraig, along with that Issei."

"And you were trying to fix the future without him?" Azazel chuckled at my words and shut his eyes.

"Time is infinitely looping. Whenever I die or something happens that would kill someone important, the universe resets itself to the day where the future Issei shatters. It wouldn't surprise me if you don't remember, though. This is the first time I've told you what had happened."

"So you're telling me that if I kill you, time will reset itself and Yuuma will be alive again!?" Azazel nodded. I sighed, pulled back a fist and shakily drew breath.

"I'll see you on the other side, Issei, even if you forget. But remember. _Don't forget_." Azazel was no more as I crushed his skull and brain under my fist. I clicked my tongue in annoyance, pushed myself to my feet and wandered through the forest, holding a stab wound on my stomach.

All I needed to do before time reset itself was find Yuuma's body, no matter how crushed or broken it was. She was all that matter. Seeing her face for the last time before everything I've ever known and done disappears will give me the comfort I need.

My legs were becoming heavy and my arms were starting to burn up.

It seemed as if the Juggernaut Drive was taking effect on this body, after all.

I noted that I seemed to have my own thoughts back in my mind instead of Issei's.

Not that I cared, anyway.

I mean, even though I devoured all of Issei's body and memory upon the release of the forbidden move, I'd live on in the Sacred Gear regardless of what happens next, with or without my memories of what had happened here.

I sighed and pushed Issei's body to the limit, acknowledging the fact that I had gained all of his memories and hate from the second that he even unlocked the Boosted Gear.

From that moment onwards, though, the past users, as well as myself, had been influencing his thoughts because he was so _vulnerable_. He was easy to take control of and that made it easy to abuse his body and have fun. I mean, being trapped inside of a gauntlet and doing nothing for a millennium is not fun and it never will be.

 **[Now!]**

Ddraig's voice echoed around the rubble of the church as I smashed rocks and other hard objects to dust while finding Yuuma's body. It's the last thing I could do for the poor kid. I have killed him because I decided to have fun, so he should die with the person he's closest with.

It's too bad that that person is already dead.

* * *

I gasped as all of my senses returned to me. The colours, the smells, the _pain_ , the sounds. All of it was overwhelming. Ddraig had warned me of what would happen when I regained control of my body, and he was also kind enough to somehow let me listen in on the conversation that Azazel and 'I' had had moments prior.

But I was shocked to know that this could be the umpteenth time I've done these things. That's if time repeated itself, though, and I doubt it wouldn't change. It starts off from after the time the future me had told me to be a 'normal' kid, so nothing really will change.

Time will loop for an infinite cycle.

I'm guessing that those memories I had found in my head had been the result of my future self being shattered, whatever that meant. The remaining fragments of his soul were probably those memories so they attached themselves to what they thought was their proper owner, which was me.

I sighed and felt my knees collapse under my weight.

I felt weak and useless. I was going to die and see everything repeat itself over and over without any memory of this ever happening. I wonder if Azazel has memories of every timeline, though. He did say that time always restarts itself, so he's probably experienced this moment over and over and over and had just given up on trying.

That's why he didn't fight to his full strength because there was no point. If he killed me, time would restart, and if I killed him, which I did, time would also be reset. However, that brings me to another point.

 _Time hasn't reset itself._

My vision became blurry and my hearing became muffled.

I noted that I felt awfully relaxed to be dying. My body felt warm, my mind was at peace and I had achieved what I had wanted to do. I hadn't achieved everything that I had wanted to do in life, sadly, but I still felt that I had accomplished _something_.

My body stopped moving.

It felt nice to know that Yuuma wasn't going to be dead forever, though. Maybe in some other universe she had died and this whole encounter hadn't happened. Maybe Azazel decided to not kill Yuuma and Mittelt and had spared them because they simply weren't worth his time. If I had a choice, that's the universe I wanted to wake up in when time resets itself.

My brain began to shut down.

There was nothing I could do about it, though. I was a completely average high school student. In more detail, there was absolutely nothing special about me.

In short, I was _totally normal._

* * *

…

…

...

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

The buzzing of a phone disturbed my slumber. My body was numb but comfortable, it was warm and enjoyable, and last but not least, I was well-rested.

My eyes slowly opened in the dim room, revealing the familiar white ceiling. I looked around, dazed, and noticed two blobs of hair on either side of me. A mop of blonde hair to my left that was clinging to my chest while the other one, a neat drape of raven black hair, had an arm slung around my neck on the right side of my body where a small wooden stand sat.

I cleared my throat, noticing the buzzing of a phone. The buzzing of _my_ phone. I tried to move my arm and clicked in annoyance as it wouldn't move. The tips of my fingers would burn slightly when I tried to move, but I did not care all too much for that.

All I wanted to do was move my damn arm.

And it did. It came out from the under covers, snaked through the arm of the black haired person and reached out to grab the phone. It attempted to grab it, failed when the fingers wouldn't move, and tried again, succeeding without any trouble.

The phone was answered and pulled to my ear, "I hope you're ready for the second act…Issei…"

I dropped the phone with wide eyes as my mind began to function properly.

Time didn't reset itself. Instead of going ten years back, I had jumped into another universe where everything turned out alright. I should have died and Yuuma shouldn't be alive right now, either. Mittelt should be seriously injured and on the brink of death.

I smiled, though.

It felt great to have woken up like this as it means I'm starting to _abandon normality._

* * *

 **Aaaaand, that's the end for now, kids! Show's over! Pack up and leave! I have an idea I want to work on in DxD, though, so look out for that if you're interested! Thanks for all of the support you guys have given me!**

 **Don't fear, though. I left it at a point where I can resume the story if I desire to. So you may receive a chapter notification that tells you when I do. For guests…well, there's nothing you can do unless you create an account. Sorry!**

 **I'd like to make a few shout-outs first to a few people that have supported me on the way! Thank you RedSS for always leaving reviews and inspiring me to write this! Thanks to darth56 for always reviewing and supporting me, as well! Also, thanks to KingPlotBunny for the same reasons. All three of you are amazing!**

 **Sorry for disappointing everyone with this chapter and ending ;)**

 **Before I forget! Did you like/dislike this story? Leave a PM or a review that tells me why! Did you like/dislike the ending? Leave a PM or a review that tells me why! Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11 - Epilogue

Once upon a time, I was naïve and ' _totally normal_ '.

What about now?

I was shrewd and bitter and wanted to die properly.

When you've experienced millions of years of pain and death that repeats itself, you can't help but ignore the ignorant mortals and reject all of your emotions. No one would want to suffer the way I am, after all, as I've been stuck in an infinite loop that once started on a fateful day in my yard. Ever since then, the weeks that I start at have been ticking backwards until I see the older version of myself kneeling in front of me.

"If you're totally normal and a good boy, everything will turn out alright in the future!" Every single time I 'woke up' he said that, no matter what I did or said. I insulted him, I physically hurt him, I ignored him and I ran away.

Every. Single. Time.

Those words would echo in my mind as I tried to figure what was happening. There was a way to end the infinite cycle, right? I knew that there was. If there wasn't, I wouldn't have found the knowledge and wisdom that was generous enough to guide me through my troubles.

I thought I would've felt nothing after the first few cycles, but I was dead wrong. I felt everything, every single time. I would sigh and brush those emotions away and remind myself that they shouldn't affect me, even though my mental reminders were useless.

* * *

A raven-haired girl entered my peripheral vision and I sighed.

"Leave me be, fallen angel Raynare. If you come any closer, I'll kill you." I felt a warm energy touch the skin of my neck before it was dispelled. I glanced at the girl and grit my teeth. She wouldn't leave me alone, even though I destroyed her 'spear of light' without moving a muscle.

Yes, I had taught myself magic with many failures, and I did die many times while figuring it out.

A gentle warmth gathered in my hand when I turned to see the fallen angel in all of her glory. I grunt in dissatisfaction as she wasn't the Yuuma I remembered and clenched my fist as tight as I could, fire coating Yuuma's body instantly.

She screamed in pain, thrashed about as her flesh melted, and fell to the concrete path of the bridge, writhing in pain as her screams died down. She went limp, her skin having disappeared entirely, leaving a charred corpse that crumbled into ash.

I sighed and used my arms to support my body against the railing, peering over the side of the bridge. Cars were speeding past and I contemplated my options, knowing that I'm going to die in two weeks regardless of the actions I would make in the future.

I stood on the edge of the railing with my eyes held shut.

The wind was nice and cool in the setting sun.

My hair was tussled by the invisible force.

I felt a smile slip onto my face.

Maybe I'd be freed from my eternal pain?

* * *

I sighed as I sat up in my bed, having died last night to Yuuma's 'spear of light'. I did it on purpose, finding that I had far more opportunities to succeed if I was resurrected as a devil…but I wasn't feeling as if it would accomplish anything in this particular run-through of the timeline.

I rose an eyebrow as I saw a naked Rias Gremory curled up on my bed.

"Well, that's different." I muttered to myself, noting the difference in what I called the 'Event Line'. Every single time I had been revived, Rias was nowhere to be found and only revealed her status as a devil if I was stabbed by Dohnaseek, the second fallen angel that attacks me, or if I kill the poor guy.

This was different, though.

I shrugged my shoulders and lazily dressed myself in a pair of jeans and a black shirt, noticing a pile of neatly folded clothes that were certainly Rias'. I contemplated if I should wake the red-head up and decided to follow through with it, gently shaking her by the shoulder.

She unfurled her body, revealing everything to me, before she rolled over and groaned. I threw a curtain open and winced as the sudden exposure to sunlight hurt my eyes. Rias groaned again and somehow rolled off of the bed, yelping as her self-inflicted injuries jolted her mind into a fully conscious state.

Rias stared up at me as she rubbed the back of her head, "I can see everything, you know." Rias giggled and pushed herself to her feet, her breasts bouncing about. I didn't blush or react in any way that would suggest I was a pervert; I maintained eye contact and retrieved Rias' clothing for her.

She thanked me, dropped the pile of clothes on my bed and stretched her arms above her head, yawning rather loudly, "I'm guessing you don't care that I'm seeing your naked body." Rias shook her head, held her arms behind her back and looked around my room.

"I was kind of expecting more of a reaction because you're a healthy teenager, but you've maintained your composure the whole time." I grunted, shrugged my shoulders and glanced at Rias' breasts for the first time in this run-through, sighing as they look the exact same as the other run-throughs. Why would they look any different, anyway? I've always left my first encounters with Rias to the whole Yuuma thing.

A lightbulb went off in my head.

That's something I can improve upon in the next run-though.

"Well, for now, I have some things to discuss with you about what happened last night. Oh, feel free to stare at my body as much as you want, by the way. I know you won't do anything the both of us will regret."

That's the first time I've heard my devil master say that line.

Oh well. I've gotten permission, so I may as well indulge in the carnal desires of a human while I still can.

* * *

It was my first year at Kuoh Academy.

On the first day, I made an effort to approach Rias when Akeno, her personal shadow, wasn't around. I found her in the corridor outside my classroom after school, staring down at the track field as several students participated in their club activities.

I leaned on the window next to Rias and glanced at her, my arms crossed, "The name's Issei Hyoudou." Rias glanced at me with shock present on her face. She furrowed her brows, sighed and continued to stare out the window, the glass reflecting her face.

"I didn't notice you sneak up on me! Oh, my name's Rias Gremory, by the way." I glanced at the devil once more.

"Everyone knows that, I think. People seem to have a strange obsession with you and Akeno Himejima, after all, so it wouldn't surprise you to know that I already knew your name." Rias giggled and smiled, one of her hands pressed up against the fragile glass.

"I didn't think the first years would already know about me." I grunted as I found the humour in Rias' words and sighed.

"Words travel faster than you think, you know." Rias' arm dropped to her side as she turned to face me. I pushed myself off of the wall and window and shoved my hands into my pockets, meeting Rias' kind expression with an apathetic rendition of her own.

"I know, I know. It feels good to have people fawn over you, though, even if you don't know why they do such a thing." A smile slipped onto my face.

"You'll find the answer soon enough, Rias. Anyway, you wouldn't mind if I was bold enough to ask you for your number, would you?" Rias giggled as I pulled my flip phone out of my pocket.

"Asking a girl for her number on your first encounter? Are you trying to ask me out on a date?" My smile widened, but I shook my head with a chuckle.

"No, I was hoping we could be friends." Rias rose an eyebrow and hummed in thought, scanning my body from head to toe before she grinned.

"Of course we can!"

I felt as if the ending was going to be different this time.

/\

As Rias held my mangled body in her arms, a grin formed on my face as my remaining hand shot her a shaky thumbs up. A tear dropped onto my soon-to-be corpse as the devil's tears finally broke her emotional barrier.

I shakily sighed as I caressed her face with my left arm, having lost the other one in the fight with my enemy, "There's no need to cry, you know." I spoke softly as the physical pain was too much to bear. It made sense, after all. Anyone who didn't feel pain after losing an arm and the lower half of their body, as well as a giant chunk of their stomach, was a monster that didn't deserve to live.

I'm surprised I've stayed alive for as long as I have, anyway, as I've been struggling to move for the past five minutes. My body had been discovered under the rubble just a minute ago and the blood loss should have definitely killed me by now.

I couldn't stand to see my new best friend cry the way she is, though, and I wanted to die more than I ever have, "You're going to die, Issei! I have every right to cry!" Rias had sobbed and gripped my bloodied shirt as her cries progressively became louder. I grit my teeth as my arm dropped to my side, limp.

I was fading fast, and Rias knew that as well as I did. Anyone with a brain knew that there was no way I could be saved, "But I'll see you soon, yeah? Just…don't forget me…okay?" My vision was becoming darker as the seconds passed and my ability to hear was becoming worse.

"I'll never forget you, Issei…never…because I love you…" I was put into shock in my last moments in this run-through as those are words that Rias should never say to me. I'm not the person anyone should love as I've become an apathetic, sarcastic and cynical bastard that knows that everything they do is all for naught.

I'm going to die, though, so I should accept Rias' love for what is before I see my future self in front of me like I always do, the same words leaving his mouth every time.

There was no way to change it, either.

* * *

"So, what am I expecting this time 'round?" I couldn't help but ask myself that as I sat in the middle of a park, having exposed my genius to my parents and the world. My knowledge was tested, I graduated high school at the age of six, and I had nothing to do all day.

For the next ten years I sat around doing nothing, even though many opportunities and offers appeared. My parents weren't disappointed in my choices as I was just a kid, but they were a little bummed about the loss of potential riches.

It didn't matter anyway. It was my…let's see…my one hundred and fifty-two thousandth, seven hundred and third run-through, and the ending has never changed. Every single time, I die from the same person in the same location, but for generally different reasons.

I gave up a while ago, anyway.

I was content with sitting around all day, doing nothing.

I've done everything I could in the long time I've been alive so there really was nothing I could do. I've seen every scenario possible, I've said everything I could and I've committed every action I could.

The ending was never changing, and it never will change. Only the in-between changes, and even then it contributes nothing to the ending.

It was a true loop of time that begins with the future version of myself ruining every hope I have for a future. He's the one that caused this to happen me and I'm the one that has to suffer, no thanks to a perverted idiotic that is apparently the person I would have become without his interference.

I yawned and scratched my cheek, staring at a television in the dark.

I guess I was content with this run-through.

Nothing bad has happened, after all, and I was going to be killed regardless of what I do.

* * *

I stared at the ashes of the building and the puny mortals that had tried to escape my hellfire, their limp corpses still burning to a crisp. The scent of a burning human wasn't exactly pleasant, but it was a small price to pay for a source of entertainment.

I sighed and stared up at the smoke in the night sky, "This isn't fun anymore." I snapped my fingers and felt the warmth of my fire instantly disappear, the ambience of the night immediately replacing the cackles of burning wood.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and sighed once more, walking off into the dark of the night. There was nothing left for me here, anyway. I've burned down the entire city in a fit of boredom, along with everyone in it, and the supernatural was going to be all over me when they find out that I'm not the puny human they thought I was.

I mean, it's not like I dropped a giant fireball on the town.

"We meet at last, Issei Hyoudou…or would you prefer I call you by your alternative title, Human Monster?" I raised an eyebrow at the leader of the fallen angels, Azazel, as the blood of the last Satan dripped off of my short sword. I flicked the blood off of the dull blade with a sigh and cracked my neck with a single hand, stepping over the corpse of a very dead Sirzechs Lucifer.

"That title doesn't sound very enticing, you know. I'd prefer it if you'd call me 'The Undying Dragon'." Azazel grinned in anticipation as I stopped a few feet short of his melee range. I grimaced as a cloud of smoke blocked my vision, the burning buildings of the underworld roaring as my magical flame grew in size.

"A dragon, huh? I wonder why that is!" I titled my head to the side and felt the air around Azazel's fist cut my cheek. I touched the blood with a single hand as I blocked Azazel's strike with the other, the smoke clearing almost instantly.

"Fortunately for you, you're the first one to deal some damage to me. Not even the Four Satans could touch me, you know. Unfortunately, you're going to die soon, even if I go down with you." Azazel grinned as he jumped away from me, nonchalant about our fight.

"You're mighty confident for a mere human, you know…ah, but you killed the Four Satans and the Archangel Michael, so maybe you're telling the truth." I grinned as I leaped towards the fallen angel, my sword piercing the air as I sent a jab at Azazel's stomach. His body twist to the side before he dodged my strike, sending a foot towards me in retaliation.

I stepped to the side and dodged his attack, swinging my sword up in a diagonal arc in response, watching as my enemy spun out of the path of the blade with grace. He jumped into the air and hovered in place as his twelve crow-feathered wings supported his body, several spears of light forming around the ancient being as he crossed his arms.

They rained down upon me, but dodging and deflecting the puny 'weapons' was quite easy. I stepped to the side, raised my sword and deflected a few back towards Azazel as I weaved through the oncoming rain of death.

Azazel veered to the side to dodge the few spears I deflected and stopped the stream of spears he was creating. He knew it wasn't going to work out as I hadn't even sustained a single scratch after thirty whole seconds of the damn things, the ground littered with them, "You're pretty good, human. I'll give you that much. But you're no match for me!"

Azazel fazed out of existence, ash and dust having been kicked up around me. I twisted to the side and dodged a kick from Azazel, grabbing one of his legs with a hand as he continued to fly through the air. I slammed him into the ground with a grunt and swiftly sent my sword in a harsh downwards arc.

Azazel disappeared once more, appearing in front of me with a bleeding skull. He grinned and crossed his arms, "I'm not even trying yet." Azazel disappeared once more and I dodged the fist that was going to connect with my stomach, my knee flying up to counter Azazel's attack.

My knee hit Azazel in the chest as he was bent down to hit my stomach and he coughed up saliva, all air leaving his lungs in an instant. I spat at the ground next to his face as he writhed on the ground in pain, gasping for air in a desperate attempt to stand up and kill me, "Pathetic…truly pathetic. You're the leader of the fallen angels, yet you're so weak and puny…just like the other things I've killed. What could I expect, though? I've lived longer than you could imagine and that means I'm more powerful than you. I haven't even used my Sacred Gear yet."

Azazel stared up at me in shock before he regained his breath and composure, grabbing my ankle before the world around us turned into another scene entirely.

The hot air of the burning buildings had turned into the icy cold of a burnt down town.

"So you brought me here, huh? What's your intent?" I stared down at Azazel with folded arms, a frown present on my face. Azazel grinned and chuckled, disappearing once more.

"If you can catch me, I'll tell you!" I clicked my tongue in annoyance and shot off in a random direction, finding that I was headed towards the abandoned church, the only building that hadn't been destroyed a couple of months ago.

Azazel was standing in front of the doors of the empty building, his arms crossed, "You found me! Well, as a prize for finding me, I'll tell you what I'm intending to do. I'm obviously trying to kill you." Azazel disappeared once more. This time, though, I wasn't prepared and suffered the consequences of my foolishness.

My feet were swept out from under me as the stone of the church turned into the darkness of the night sky, an elbow rapidly approaching my stomach. I bounced on the hard dirt and coughed up a little blood as I found myself winded, "Oh, who's the powerful one now, Issei?" I grit my teeth as I tried to breath, finding that I was unable to regain my breath.

I felt a familiar red armour cover my body.

"Well, no more playing around, I guess." I had muttered as my Balance Breaker had allowed me to breathe again, for some reason. I cracked my knuckles with a grin and shot off towards Azazel, finding that he had dodged my attack. I crashed through the wooden doors of the church and into the wall on the other side, breaking straight through the dense stone without any issues.

Azazel whistled from behind me, "That's some serious power, Issei." A hand grabbed me by the helmet and threw me back into the building, the walls and several pews breaking under my back. It didn't really hurt, though, as my crimson armour was protecting me, which allowed me to recover mid-air. I hastily raised an arm to block a punch from the fallen angel and countered with an uppercut, grinning as my fist connected with Azazel's chin.

He was sent flying through the roof of the church, flipping about as his wings were unable to stabilise him. I chuckled in satisfaction, digging my heels into the floor as I bent my knees. I used all of my strength to launch myself after Azazel, feeling the air rush past me.

I pulled a fist back and let it hurtle towards my defenceless enemy, my strike sending him further into the air. I disappeared and reappeared above Azazel, a leg raised in preparation for an ax kick. My leg connected with the fallen angel and I flipped once out of grace, disappearing once more.

I hit Azazel again, disappearing and reappearing several times to play tennis by myself with the leader of the Grigori as the ball, a deep satisfaction emerging from the deepest pits of my heart. Eventually, I became bored and grabbed Azazel by the neck, his body broken and barely working, "Will you take back your previous statements, Azazel?"

Azazel chuckled and spat on my helmet, a grin present on his face, "You are a fool. This whole time I had known that I would be unable to beat you, so I was preparing a spell that would instantly kill both of us. It would use up all of my concentration and magic to pull off, so I let you beat me up. Say goodbye to the world, though. You're never going to see it again, and that's what everyone wants." I laughed manically, watching as Azazel's grin morphed into a frown as confusion flooded his face.

" _You're_ the fool, Azazel. I'm not an undying dragon for a reason, you know? You may kill me in this time line, but I'll just come back to life in another! So do it! Kill me!" Azazel shouted in fury as the air around us began to condense, the air heating up as an intense pressure built up around us.

My bones began to crack and contort as I continued to laugh, my insanity finally taking a hold of me, "See you in the next world, Azazel! I hope you don't forget this encounter!"

A giant explosion rocked the skies as Azazel's spell finally took effect.

But I never die.

I've learnt that all too well by now.

It's been a million run-throughs and the ending never changes.

Azazel, the one who had told me of the future, is always the one who kills me near the abandoned church, no matter what I do to change the future.

I don't mind, though.

It just means I'll get to experience this all over again, and I'll make Azazel suffer this time!

* * *

 **I saw that some of you were unsatisfied with the ending. No need to fear, though. This chapter explains the things that happen after Issei's awakening, and it's not very pretty. I hope everyone's satisfied with this, though. I really enjoyed writing this 'final epilogue' kinda thing, even though my writing was subpar and pretty crap. Oh well. It's a proper ending, I guess.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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